A ‘pull up’ on British black dance culture, Run It Back is a new-age reclamation for the African diaspora.

DJ Psykhomantus’ rapturous afrobeats, drill, dancehall, hip-hop, reggae and soca selections are not merely a frivolous night out, but an escapist bridge to African heritage, in this delayed offering by Talawa. The piece pulls up the culture regarding sexuality, consent, black unity, identity and reclaiming blackness for the future generations.

The music assumes a divine function, provoking harsh conversations and overlooking the discourse of the partygoers during a rave. Reclamation of power becomes thematically resonant throughout. Fuelled by female empowerment tracks, we see women and men reclaim their sexuality and reject archaic, masculine limitations. Messam’s directing examines the diasporic divide with the infamous dancehall vs afrobeat debate. It is treated with a comedic light-heartedness, but the solution is earnestly addressed through a musical fusion of both genres.

The cultural interrogation is nobly attempted through beloved songs that dehumanise women and the LGBTQ+ community, and the audience must grapple with the crude statements of their future implications. Nonetheless, the exploration of consent is crass: the response to men belligerently gyrating on women without consent is simply reversed. Frankly, a more nuanced investigation is needed, over and above the comedic, crowd-pleasing choreography.

After the hip-hop infused finale and the striking of a hanging rope, the lights come up and the once exultant protagonists become lost souls with weary expressions once again. The cultural ephemera passes and they return to being mundane, fearful bodies, a commentary on the risk black men and women face every day. The only refuge is within the DJ rewinds, dance and comforts of a youthful night. ‘Run It Back’ invokes surreal nostalgia and a spiritual rekindling while celebrating and interrogating British black culture.

Name of Production: Run It Back

Year of Production: 2021

Venue: Fairfield Halls

Cast: Azara Meghie, Yemurai Zvaraya, Bimpe Pacheco, Hayley Konadu, Johnson Adebayo, Mateus Daniel, Montel Douglas, Verona Patterson, Psykhomantus

Director: Coral Messam

Dramaturg/Created with: Gail Babb

Devised by: Typt:18

Music/Composer: DJ Psykhomantus

Designer/Lighting Designer: Amanda Mascarenhas, Pablo Fernandez Baz

Producers/Production Company: Talawa Theatre Company

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