Kieran Taylor-Ford (Manny) in Wolves On Road at Bush Theatre. Credit Helen Murray.First off, it is a pleasure to witness such a fluid and dialogue-centric piece with playful characters who are able to deliver power and gravitas when the moment requires. Manny (Kieran Taylor-Ford) has been touting knock-off merchandise while idolising the city types who can afford the glittering penthouses of Canary Wharf. His friend Abdul (Hassan Najib) introduces him to the fast moving cryptocurrency markets and after a small financial gain, he’s equally hooked on making it big for minimal effort. Meanwhile his hard-working mother Fevan (Alma Eno) dreams of opening a community restaurant and has started a low key romance with a Sudanese man Markos (Ery Nzaramba) who drives a bus and uber taxi to save money for the future. Soon, the two men experience a generational and cultural clash in which their view of success and the work required to obtain it, leads to an explosive rift which ends the first half. Given the audible gasps and teeth sucking which permeated the audience, the fractious exchange appeared to have struck the required nerve and left everyone primed for the second half.
Returning to the auditorium after the interval, we find ourselves at a launch presentation where a new star of the crypto world Devlin (Jamael Westman) is educating attendees from the east end community on how to traverse and usurp the established financial order which he asserts is designed to keep poor hard-working people from accessing financial services and investment capital. His message (now supported by two assured lieutenants in Manny and Abdul) is well received and we learn subsequently that even Markos is susceptible to the temptations of easy money — even if his motivations are to get his son out of Libya and to help Fevan set-up her dream restaurant.
The crash when it comes, is brutal and the community backlash understandably severe and angry. Hopes are dashed, recriminations and blame are quick to follow, but are lessons learned?
The dialogue is sharply observed and unashamedly street centric, affording the audience a means of connecting with the characters, their aspirations and disappointments. The strong ensemble piece places Taylor-Ford as Manny at the centre and his physicality and thoughtfulness definitely mark him out as one to watch - in fact it is difficult to take your eyes off him.
The thrust staging is another star of the piece with Amelia Jane Hankin’s set with video designs by Gino Ricardo Green, lighting by Ali Hunter and Sound by Duramaney Kamara all combining to add a hi-tec feel to a basic playing area.
WOLVES ON ROAD is another notable effort from this small production house which affirms that London’s fringe theatre venues continue to be a rich source of socially-savvy work from an array of culturally diverse and inspiring young voices.
