Sunset Baby review, Gate Theatre

London's smallest spaces can pack the biggest punches and Dominque Morisseau's new play, Sunset Baby, is a master class in how three people talking non-stop over nearly two hours in a single roomed set with no off-stage action, can provide such compelling theatre that the audience whoops with pleasure at the end.

Sunsational

The story centres on black activist Kenyatta Shakur's arrival in his daughter's life, six weeks after her mother's death. He seeks the return of the love letters that passed between them while he was a political prisoner. Nina has not seen her father since she was five. Now a drug dealer, she is the sorry proof that his sacrifices not only failed to change outcomes for the community as a whole, but robbed her of the love and support she needed after her mother, Ashanti, became a crack addict.

There the stereotypes end. What follows is part thriller, part socio-political commentary, and challenging family drama. At its heart is the failure of absent fathers who, however hard they try, can only fail because absent means 'not there when needed.' The constant igniting of sparks between Nina and her father result in fast and verbally dextrous rows while her tricksy relationship with needy hard-nut, Damon, crackles with tension. Michelle Asante as Nina is spectacular and Ben Onwukwe as Kenyatta and Chu Omambala as Damon are highly sympathetic. It's a gritty, exciting, watch with a glorious Nina Simone soundtrack.

In conclusion: In the hands of a less experienced director, such a wordy play could drag, but  Charlotte Westenra with her award-winning track record for small stage productions, injects action into every moment and movement.

References
Gate Theatre, tickets
Lyn Gardner review in The Guardian