The irony was not lost on me. The last play I reviewed in this time of enormous uncertainty, fear and trepidation, was Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over (Kiln Theatre). Passover is of course the major Jewish spring festival which commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. We could have an incredible discourse on liberation and what that looks like now and in the future (meaning the end of this year). Back to Nwandu’s sharp and enjoyable play which homes in on Moses and Kitch, two young black guys who live their lives on the streets, a monotony of interpersonal rituals. They wake every morning in the same place – somewhere in the States, a scene I have witnessed in many of its major cities – with trains chuntering above them. On the surface they chat s**t and seem to be going nowhere but deep down, they hope to escape, move on and find their own “promised land”.

The playwright was up front about making the play a provocative riff on the Book of Exodus and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot but there is one major difference. Beckett’s hobos could have been anywhere and having seen several versions in Spanish, Japanese, Greek and many other languages it is transferable to all parts of the globe, whereas Moses and Kitch are in a site specific place which is recognisable and brings with it our own assumptions. Why do they choose this life? How did they get there? What have they done to move on and find that “promised land”? A long story perhaps and maybe they would if offered that opportunity, many people living in the street are resourceful and resilient, but the backdrop to this story, and Nwandu’s challenge to the viewer and wider society, is the threat of white police officers who seemingly shoot black men at will. Cue another heated debate. Whatever your view the statistics speak for themselves.

What shines through in the darkness of these battered lives is their humanity and decency. Two blokes killing time, chilling, fooling around, banter that will make you laugh and cry, all underpinned by real despair. When they are angry, mainly with each other, it’s closely followed by an episode of fantasy, imagining a world free of discrimination and, in an alter nod to John Lennon’s Imagine, they picture heaven as it will be when they get there. The religious theme is slightly overdone but I can see why Nwandu includes it as it plays a fundamental part in the lives of so many African Americans, and cultural heritage, like it or lump it, is wired into all our DNA’s. Paapa Essiedu brings passion and a furnace of emotions to Moses, a man for whom sleep brings shattering dreams and painful memories of a dead brother. Eustache Jnr is more gentle, ever keen to lose himself in silliness, the perfect facade for his inner anguish. They are terrific together as is Alexander Eliot as odd bod Mister, a weird and wonderful character who comes into their lives, another individual looking for a place of solace.

The sunrise of each day represents that ever present ray of light and hope but Nwandu is unrelenting in what she wants us to take away from this engrossing production…#BlackLivesMatter. That’s not in Exodus.

The remainder of the run of Pass Over has of course been cancelled like most of our lives right now. Before I sign off – I may turn the column into a diary – I would like you to think about the people involved in the arts, culture and heritage who are facing an uncertain future, in some cases with little or no money to survive what confronts us all. So my simple ask is this: if each of us, those who are in a position to do so, reach out to just one person to offer help, however small – food, money, a phone, Skype or Zoom call or whatever else – together we can make a huge difference. And if you are one of those people who need help please do not be afraid or ashamed to ask. This time we really are in it together. To you and all your loved ones I wish you good health, for without it we have nothing.

When this is all over, how ever long it takes, the light will shine again and the show will go on.

Barney Efthimiou

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