My Brother’s Keeper review

“Immigration drama loses focus”

ReviewsFeb 22, 2023by Paul ValeTheatre503, London

Tapiwa Mugweni and Tito Williams in My Brother's Keeper at Theatre503, London. Photo: Ali Wright

Tapiwa Mugweni and Oscar Adams in My Brother's Keeper at Theatre503, London. Photo: Ali Wright

Peter Eastland and Tapiwa Mugweni in My Brother's Keeper at Theatre503, London. Photo: Ali Wright

Tapiwa Mugweni and Tito Williams in My Brother's Keeper at Theatre503, London. Photo: Ali WrightTapiwa Mugweni and Oscar Adams in My Brother's Keeper at Theatre503, London. Photo: Ali WrightPeter Eastland and Tapiwa Mugweni in My Brother's Keeper at Theatre503, London. Photo: Ali Wright

Uncertain immigration drama with a gay perspective spreads itself too thinly

This new play from author Mahad Ali takes a balanced and objective look at the issues surrounding immigration in the UK.

In Margate, two young Nigerian refugees find accommodation at a down-at-heel bed and breakfast. Hassan is cautious and serious, while his younger brother Aman is a bit of a dreamer. Neither of them is allowed to work while their immigration status is being decided, but Hassan finds solace in running. Aman is far less energetic, but strikes up a friendship with Aidan, the son of their landlord Bill.

Meanwhile, Aidan’s father is facing criticism from right-wing locals for housing the immigrants, and his best mate Linton is putting the pressure on by standing for political office. Tempers flare and friendships collapse – but nobody knows the whole story.

Directed by Robert Awosusi, Ali’s moving play touches on many themes, notably the dynamic ebb and flow between lifelong friends and the brothers. The gay relationship that develops between Aman and Aidan is a slow but satisfying burn, and some of Ali’s best and most naturalistic writing appears here. It helps that Tapiwa Mugweni’s fluid, charismatic performance as Aman is utterly disarming, while Oscar Adams is a cautious Aidan. There’s also some entertaining banter between Bill and Linton, in which Ali very precisely allows their once-solid friendship to slowly but surely disintegrate.

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Ali weaves detailed connections into the play, with Mugweni and Tito Williams – like Adams, making his professional stage debut here – as the conscientious Hassan creating a complex but comprehensible pairing. There is also strong work from Philip Wright as the conflicted Bill, torn between love for his son and a desire to secure his future.

Peter Eastland as Linton, the ex-con turned right-wing independent candidate, is terrifyingly realistic, his behaviour underpinned by fear, ignorance and plain hate. Linton is a lurking presence in all their lives, like a dark cloud hanging ominously over a once-pretty seaside town. When his rhetoric turns blatantly racist, it’s as if a thunderstorm is breaking, and the knock-on effects are devastating.

Where the play falters, however, is in its structure and pace. With so many themes vying for attention, it loses focus. Multiple scenes in different locations sometimes make it seem more suited to the small screen rather than an intimate stage. Awosusi’s direction handles the emotional threads well enough, but a fussy staging, littered with unnecessary props and furniture, hampers the storytelling. Amanda Ramasawmy’s impressive but impractical set design doesn’t help, more preoccupied with the beach setting than the action demands.

Production Details

Production nameMy Brother’s Keeper

VenueTheatre503

LocationLondon

Starts14/02/2023

Ends04/03/2023

Press night21/02/2023

Running time2hrs 15mins

AuthorMahad Ali

DirectorRobert Awosusi

Set designerAmanda Ramasawmy

Costume designerAmanda Ramasawmy