Roadkill is an immersive drama about sex trafficking. Punters wait in an elegant drawing room beside the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, to be taken by coach to a row of dilapidated council houses near Canning Town. Here they witness one of their number, a lively young Nigerian new to London, getting raped and beaten into prostitution. Is Adeola 14 or 19? Are her parents getting any of the money charged by the Madam for the degradation she's suffering? Does it matter?
 |
| Young blooded |
What we're seeing is the minutiae of abuse: the lies told, the threats made, the clouts administered, the humiliations extracted; the climate of fear and the sheer tiredness that prevents young girls from escaping. With up to ten clients a day, there's neither the will nor the way. Outside, the glass and steel of new roads and roundabouts are at odds with the boarded doors and windows around them. Where to run?
Based on a true story, Cora Bisset's deeply moving production is seamlessly acted by a cast of three. By the time we reach our destination, we've enjoyed a number of small and fleeting interactions with Adeola - beautifully played by Mercy Ojelade - and have invested in her wellbeing. It's difficult then to switch off from the cruelty that follows and the crude reminders of outside collusion including comments from comparison websites where prostitutes are given ratings.
In conclusion: The demand for narrative resolution results in 15 minutes too much action, but the production is innovative, exciting and challenging. The clever use of CGI - including a baby scan played on Adeola's stomach - is impressive.
References
Roadkill at Stratford East, tickets
Sarah Hemming review in the FT
No comments:
Post a Comment