Blues For An Alabama Sky
Lyttleton, National Theatre
 

IN JUNE of this year, the 1972 landmark case of Roe v Wade which gave women the right to abortion in the US, was overturned in a shocking attack on women’s rights.

Women’s fight for control over their fertility lies at the heart at Pearl Cleage’s 1995 drama which is given a timely revival in Lynette Linton’s dazzling new production.  

Queer seamster Guy (Giles Terera) shares his apartment with songstress Angel (Samira Wiley) in Harlem as the great depression is talking hold. Their intimate bond owes much to their differing natures, with the diamond-hearted and hopeful Guy providing a lively sounding board for Angel’s raging vulnerabilities.  

Across the hall of their apartment block the youthful Delia (Ronke Adekoluejo) exudes a quiet, innocent power as she navigates the religious and political complexities of Harlem in her efforts to establish a family planning clinic.

She calls on the help of doctor Sam (Sule Rimi), whose hedonistic nights contrast with his selfless, long days serving the sick. Their “will-they-won’t-they” relationship provides an alluring tease throughout, with one particular dalliance drawing a loud holler of excitement from an audience member.  

Wounded by break-ups and fall outs, Angel struggles to find work as the nightclubs around them shut their doors while Guy dreams of escaping to Paris to make costumes for trailblazer Josephine Baker. The words of Langston Hughes’ Dreams fill the transitions and echo through characters experiences.

Angel winds up mistakenly placing her fortunes in the lap of a “mysterious stranger” from Alabama, the cautious but damaged Leland (Osy Ikhile), whose strict Christian values are at odds with her environment. When she decides to take control of her body it triggers a series of events that will turn all their worlds upside down.  

Cleage’s razor-sharp dialogue is matched by Frankie Bradshaw’s elegant design as Linton draws radiant performances from a magnificent cast. Even amongst such a talented ensemble, Giles Terera manages to stand out by finding the pitch-perfect sweet spot of Guy’s defiant flamboyance.

A beautiful, bittersweet concoction of tragedy and liberation it is baffling that Cleage’s work has not been seen more often on British stages. Let’s hope that begins to change.

Runs until November 5 2022. Box office: 020 3989 5455, www.nationaltheatre.org.uk