The tension rose by each minute of the ninety
The best part about this very American play about Sidney Poitier is that it is written by a very London playwright from Lewisham, writes Michael Holland.
Ryan Calais Cameron has been writing this labour of love for many years and put in many hours of research and watching films to ensure Retrograde captured the true essence of Poitier and his struggle within the confines of a business meeting the actor had with a dubious business lawyer and a writer friend, Bobby(Oliver Johnstone).
So, ultimately, Retrograde is not about whether Poitier would sign his reputation and life away but about the centuries of racism, slavery, white supremacy and black people in America having to ‘know their place’.
These big points are made just subtlely, a look, a pause, a phrase. At one point I thought Poitier(Ivanno Jeremiah) was going to slap Mr Parks(Stanley Townsend) in an action replay of the famous slap from In the Heat of the Night, which I know would have raised a great cheer from the audience.
The tension rose by each minute of the ninety. As each new revelation was drip-fed in we learnt something new about Poitier, the lawyer and American society in the late 50s. As the play went on we loved Sidney more and White America less. I felt the theatre getting ready to scream ‘NO!’ when the pen was poised over the dotted line.
Ivanno Jeremiah once again brings Poitier to life and Amit Sharma is back to direct after their successful run at Kiln Theatre.
Retrograde is a history lesson, perhaps one that was never taught in American schools but one that is being confirmed as truth and fact today. It is played, seemingly, for laughs, with great gags aplenty flying about between the three, gags that would give Neil Simon a run for his dollars. I’m not sure if this dilutes the message.
Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbuty Avenue until 14th June. Tickets: £25 – £90.
