Crown of Blood at Sheffield Crucible Review
Written by Kirsty for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Utopia Theatre makes a triumphant return to the Crucible stage with their Crown of Blood. Crown of Blood takes the story and themes from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth but places it in 19th-century Yorubaland.
Oladipo Agbolujae has written a thought-provoking piece that feels modern whilst still honouring the traditions and lore of the Yoruba people and keeping the themes known to so many from Macbeth. Mojisola Kareem’s direction of the piece keeps the story moving without overwhelming the audience, many of whom will not know the history or culture of the Yoruba people.
Deyemi Okanlawon gives a powerful performance as Aderemi, and his journey from decorated Balogun to power hungry Regent Alaafin was mesmerising to watch. He commanded the stage throughout, and his emotional range was brilliant to watch. Kehinde Bankole as Oyebisi was the performance of the piece. Her love for Aderemi was only matched by her desire to regain her status at any cost. The way that Agbolujae had given Oyebisi much more power in the story was testament to the power that women held in the community. Bankole was masterful yet heart wrenching, especially towards the end of the play, where there was a realisation that the price for power may be too much for her to pay. Her manipulation of the Ifá to ensure Aderemi’s rise to power was machiavellian and powerful, in comparison to her realisation that her decisions have left her isolated and cursed.
The whole cast were exceptional, especially the community ensemble and their inclusion created the sense of the village being at the heart of the piece.
The modernity of the piece was demonstrated perfectly with the Arokin (court historian) being replaced during Aredemi’s reign to ensure the history was recorded the way Aredemi wanted, including rewriting his own personal history. The idea of “fake news” is obviously not a new one and this one idea really hit hard.
Kevin Jenkin’s set design is simple and powerfully effective. The imagery of the suspended throne during Aderemi’s reign of terror works to show that even those who believe they have the right to reign are not the ones who should reign. Jenkin’s costume design was sumptuous and felt like an extra character throughout. Bethan Clark’s fight direction was flawless and really allowed the fight scenes to shine without resorting to fake blood and gore.
All in all, Crown in Blood was a joy to watch, and left the audience with a message that will stick with me. The piece feels something that feels incredibly relevant and definitely raises a mirror to the current political and social climate we find ourselves in. It also reminds us that the battle for control and power is one for the ages.
Plays until 7 February
★★★★
