Ifeyinwa Frederick’s ‘Sessions’ is a bold insight into mens’ mental health via an explosively hilarious ‘pity party’ you are cordially invited to.
Sessions by Ifeyinwa Frederick, boasts a humorous insight into the life of Tunde (Black) while shedding light on the complexities of male vulnerability, depression and navigating life in your late twenties. Tunde is riddled with confusing emotions right before his 30th birthday and decides to book a session with a therapist to be “fixed finally”. Despite being told that progress isn’t linear, Tunde takes us through the non-linear narrative with charismatic ease. Black’s Tunde is jovial and larger than life, bopping to hip-hop and delivering one-liners with the comedic timing of a close friend you’ve laughed with for years.
The lighting frames the scenes, hopping between the weeks following his birthday and the big day itself: orange illuminates Tunde’s presence while blue light sets the stage of the therapist office; rare pink blooms when he speaks of the people he loves, while the mere mention of his father bathes the set in violet. The set itself is littered with men’s deodorant and packing boxes – a slow festering depression pit. Tunde’s witty repertoire soon transforms into thinly veiled cries for help. The audience is helplessly watching the inevitable spiral of the character we’ve grown to love and trust. Time ticks fervently throughout the play and is expertly utilised by director Philip Morris to inject real tension and raise the stakes in the life of Tunde. The four pillars behind the stage act as a sundial, using light to count down the days before the big day. Tunde uses his whole body to convey his feelings, striding across the stage purposefully and spitting dry humour with bold brashness. His physicality precedes his fragile ego, which makes the final breakdown so captivating to watch.
‘Sessions’ is a brave step in the direction of male vulnerability, especially in its portrayal of mental health and black men. While the ending is ambiguous and encourages the audience to draw its own inferences, it is a harsh detour from the tone at the beginning of the play. Nonetheless, Sessions reaffirms that the cycle of trauma and depression is a battle that cannot be resolved in a three-act structure and takes a lifetime to master.
Name of Production: Sessions
Year of Production: 2021
Venue: Soho Theatre
Cast: Joseph Black
Director: Philip Morris
Writer: Ifeyinwa Frederick
Music/Composer: Asaf Zohar
Designer: Anna Reid
Lighting Designer: Simisola Majekodunmi
Producers/Production Company: Paines Plough & Soho Theatre
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