My review of Ride! by BAFTA winner John Foster

I went to see Ride! by BAFTA winner John Foster at the Lighthouse in Poole, Dorset last week-end. I was really looking forward to watching the final play and see how it had developed since I’d read an early 20min version for John in one of our Doppelganger Dialogues.

When I read it, although I am the completely wrong person for the part, I really connected with the character and felt his pain all the way through from the early surprise and denial to the real fear from the realisation that there can be only one outcome to that story.

The script has now evolved into a full length play delivered with masterclass as a virtual one hander by Shaquille John in a wonderful performance where he delivers through his spoken thoughts and convoluted body moves all the emotions he is going through. He also speaks his tormentors’ words managing to smoothly switch from one character to another, finding truth in ever characterisation.

The subject matter is as relevant as ever with the growing open racism trends brought by the likes of Brexit here and Trump’s election in the US making it acceptable to engage with such backwards and short-sighted thoughts and behaviours embraced by nationalism.

Although Shaquille John is the one shining here for his outstanding performance, huge credit must be given to John Foster for a very relevant, thoughtful and intelligent script tackling a difficult subject matter, the abduction and murder of a black delivery guy by members of the Ku Klux Klan only 20 years ago!, Charmaine K Parkin for a very original direction and use of recordings of the Shaquille’s delivery of some parts of the script, managing to break the performance in scenes without any actual breaks or the actor ever leaving the stage, and finally Ben Waller for the additional sound effects and music giving the show a very authentic Deep south atmosphere. And finally producer Junior Jones for bringing this masterpiece to the stage.

The standing ovation at the end said it all!

 Laurent C. is a UK based French actor and translator
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