Samira Wiley – best known for roles in hit shows Orange is the New Black and The Handmaid’s Tale – has made her London debut in Lynette Linton’s revival of Pearl Cleage’s 1955 play Blues for an Alabama Sky at the National Theatre. Set in New York during 1930, it focuses on the Harlem Renaissance at the moment the Great Depression is just starting to bite. Wiley plays the role of Angel, a cabaret singer, who shares a flat with her gay best friend Guy (the excellent Giles Terera), a fashion designer. This pair have a really wonderful on-stage chemistry – we immediately bought into them being best friends.
Early on in the play we’re introduced to Leland (Osy Ikhile) who’s new in town from Alabama; he’s a gentleman who helps Angel home from a night out after she’s a little worse for wear. She immediately falls for him, but his conservative views clash spectacularly with those in her more liberal friendship circle.
It’s a play that sets the scene of the era brilliantly. Our protagonists allude to attending parties being thrown by Langston (we assume Hughes); Guy is busily making costume after costume for a singer in Paris called Josephine (we assume Baker); towards the end of the show we listen to ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’ by Bessie Smith. Throughout the play we’re treated to little snippets of blues music being sung by the multi-talented cast; it’s unexpected, and a nice touch.
While the show is set nearly a century ago, the subject matter tackled still feels completely relevant. Whether we’re presented with diverging conservative and liberal views on matters such as sexuality or abortion, the discourse isn’t far removed from today’s conversations – the dialogue resonated with us more than we expected it too. Of course, significant progress has been made since 1930, but we do still find ourselves in a time when it’s rare to see a black gay men as a key component of the narrative in a major production; we’re very here for more of this, please.
We enjoyed our evening with Blues for an Alabama Sky. It considers a range of topical subjects in a thoughtful way, and while it can get quite serious, it’s surprisingly funny too. There’s some really great music here and, of course, some stellar acting performances. Samira Wiley is captivating from start to finish, but it’s very much an ensemble piece and there are no weak links in the cast. Well worth checking out.
GAY TIMES gives Blues for an Alabama Sky – 4/5
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