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London Review
London ReviewInto the Hoods
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An Ipod as white as milk, a Hoodie as red as blood, Weave as yellow as corn and trainer as pure as gold— Birthday gifts for the Landlord's daughter
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Rowen Hawkins as Jaxx, Roger Davies as Prince and Teneisha Bonner as Spinderella.
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The story is of two lost children who have run away from school (Russell Royer and Alicia Lai) into the Hood, a tower block on the Ruff Endz estate. Their task is to find some birthday presents for the Landlord (Frank Wilson)'s daughter Rap-on-zel (Rhimes Lecointe) and in return he will show them the way out of the Hood. They will meet DJ Spinderella (Teneisha Bonner), singer Lil Red (Sacha Chang) who will visit her grandmother, the Wolf (Andry Oporia) who is a greedy agent and manager of Big Teef Records, music producer Jaxx (Rowen Hawkins) of Beanstalk fame, the Giant (Jeffrey Felicisimo), the Prince (Roger Davies) and MC Rap-on-zel (Rhimes Lecointe) who may have to let down her braids to allow her suitor to climb the tower block. In this version the Prince confesses to being "a playa" as he two-times Spinderella and Rap-on-zel.
There is plenty to make you smile. The show uses video footage which the live cast can merge in and out of, with the split rear curtain. The step mother and ugly sisters are played by very tall men in shocking pink outfits, wigs and short skirts with hairy legs. I loved the scene in the old people's home when Lil Red visits her grandmother, where the cast in pyjamas break dance with zimmer frames. At the ball, Spinderella whips off her track suit bottoms along with the whole girl cast to reveal Ra Ra skirts: of course her glass slipper is a golden trainer from Footlocker.
If you enjoyed Gene Kelly's acrobatic jump up the wall in Singin' in the Rain, you will see at least half a dozen of these performed live onstage, with a couple of dancers managing two somersault flip jumps, one straight after the other. I remembered Southwark Council Health and Safety officers put paid to this dance step at the National a few years back in their production of Singin' in the Rain on the grounds that it was dangerous: thank goodness the Novello isn't in Southwark! Everyone joins in the dancing including the children, both of whom can act as well as dance and a diminutive little girl, just over three feet tall, called Fairy Gee (Annie Edwards) whose sophisticated dance moves totally delight the audience. You will be gobsmacked by the spins on one hand with legs high in the air from Denny Haywood, Jeffrey Felicisimo, Roger Davies, Rowen Hawkins and many others.
Of the principals, Lil Red is charming and sweetly appealing, Prince amuses acrobatically, Rap-on-zel is a chunkier than usual heroine and make us laugh as well as admiring her dance but Teneisha Bonner's fabulous dance moves will take your breath away. I was also impressed by how polished the dance routines are, how together the set pieces as well as envious of the cast's limitless energy.
The designer has used black and white and dark photographs of the tower block to convey its sinister appearance and video footage gives the impression of ascending many levels in an elevator. Kate Prince and ZooNation can take credit for a show that has such professionalism, it deserves every success. The audience may not be a traditional West End theatre crowd but there are surely many out there who will love it.
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Into the Hoods
Directed by Kate Prince Starring: Teneisha Bonner, Sacha Chang, Rowen Hawkins, Frank Wilson, Rowen Hawkins, Rhimes Lecointe, Denny Haywood, Roger Davies, Andry Oporia, Christian ‘Bounce'Alozie, Jeffrey Felicisimo With: Bradley Charles, Shanelle ‘Tali' Fergus, Sarah Richards, Maria Swainson, Swarf Calape, Tom Cunningham, Rhonda Humphrey, Chantal Spiteri, Josh Cohen, Mr Gee, Job Angus and Latiya Williams/Clint Easton and Georgie Mzui/Michael McNeish and Alex Mayhew/Russell Royer and Alicia Lai, Truth Angus/Yasmin Chevannes/Annie Edwards/Marisha Morgan choreography: Kate Prince and ZooNation Film and Projection: Felix Harrison Music and Arrangement: Danilo ‘DJ' Walde Design: Chris Lowe Costume Design: Chloe Richardson Lighting: Adam Bassett Sound: Rory Madden Running time: One hour 50 minutes without an interval Box Office: 0870 950 0935 Booking to 31st August 2008 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 27th March 2008 performance at The Novello, Aldwych, WC2 (Tube: Charing Cross) |
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