One Monkey Don't Stop No Show | Sheffield Theatres
Amidst the hype surrounding Othello at The Crucible, there is a noisy set of neighbours making themselves heard. One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show at The Crucible’s Studio Theatre won’t draw the crowds like Othello but certainly offers a performance that merits it.
Don Evans’ 1982 comedy portrays the isolated state of the middle-class, African-American community, whilst coating it with a layer of hilarious hypocrisy and sass.
Tv’s Jocelyn Jee Esien (Little Miss Jocelyn) plays the delightfully flawed social climber Myra, wife of the upstanding yet sexually-frustrated Reverend Avery Harrison (Roger Griffiths) superbly. Her physical comedy is incredible to behold and is accentuated by the theatre’s intimate setting.
Dovetailing with the talent of Griffiths’ velvet-smooth and equally hilarious performance, Esien excels in connecting with her audience, sending them into joyous uproar as she reveals Myra’s hidden revelry in her husband’s male menopausal passions.
Esien may add the star name to the show, but it is Ayesha Antoine’s depiction of Myra’s headstrong country niece, Beverley, which gives the evening its star turn. Antoine is short in stature but when it comes to comedy, she is a colossus. Beverley’s southern roots demand a fearless character and Antoine delivers in spades. Raising up a raucous din at every moment possible she keeps the audience aching with laughter as the feistiest comic actress to don dungarees.
Antoine is not alone in a stellar performance. Beverley’s guardian and love interest Caleb Johnson is played with experience by Daniel Francis, establishing the early comedy of the play and seamlessly raising and breaking the tensions of the inner-ethnic divide at will.
Mention must also go to The University of Sheffield’s own Isaac Ssebandeke who alongside Michelle Asante and Jacqueline Boatswain supports the leading cast with double measures of humour.
Played on Libby Watson’s intimately and craftily designed stage, the comedy provides a thoroughly entertaining evening and is more than worth the ticket. An atmosphere of sophisticated merriment takes time out to critique the rise of the ‘bourgie niggah’ whilst being able to draw fun from it – ‘I said I didn’t like being with ‘em!’ I didn’t say I didn’t want to be one myself.’
As the first co-production between Eclipse Theatre Co. and Sheffield Theatres, One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show marks the start of what should be a long and fruitful relationship.
One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show runs until 24th September 2011 at The Crucible Studio Theatre.
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