A 4,000-year-old epic struggles to hold its verve and deflates expectant excitement in this apathetic production that kicks off the reopening of Young Vic and its new season of work.

The Story of Sinuhe, one of the most celebrated works of ancient Egypt, follows Iyiola – or Zhangazha (depending on the assignation after the rock-paper-scissors game played at the beginning), in the titular role – a soldier and assistant to the pharaoh – through his journey of exile following the pharaoh’s murder. After fleeing Egypt, Sinuhe serves in a Bedouin tribe before being captured and taken to the Kingdom of Retenu, where he quickly rises in status and ultimately becomes the king’s successor. It’s an epic tale exploring duty, belonging and strife, brought to life on stage by Booker Prize-winning writer, Ben Okri, and directed by the Young Vic’s own, Kwame Kwei-Armah.

The play is staged as if the audience is gathered round to hear a story, reflected in the impressive set design by Sir David Adjaye; a centre stage comprised of a detachable canvas pyramid, its point meeting the point of another, inverted, dark and imposing pyramid hanging from the ceiling, onto which the burning sun, glittering rain and anonymous faces are projected, delivering warnings and messages to Sinuhe over an evocative sound-score of battle sounds and eerie chanting.

Though both actors depicted their roles energetically and earnestly, the performances were somewhat child-like, from the overly-dramatic fight scenes, to the mix of London and broad African tribal accents, which feel disjointed and dissonant. The script is sparse and too general to give the story the depth it deserves, and the attempts to weave contemporary politics into the ancient tale feel misplaced, taking attention away from important plot points like the strained relationship between ancient Egypt and the neighbouring communities. I see the vision – a stripped back adaptation of a great tale with a modern edge, but sadly the execution doesn’t carry the play to its full potential.

Name of Production: Changing Destiny

Year of Production: 2021

Venue: The Young Vic

Cast: Joan Iyiola, Ashley Zhangazha

Director: Kwame Kwei-Armah

Writer: Ben Okri

Sound Design & Musical Direction: XANA

Set Design: Sir David Adijaye / Adijaye Associates

Lighting Design: Jackie Shemesh

Voice & Dialect: Hazel Holder

Fight Direction: Yarit Dor

Production Design: Duncan McLean

| Check out more from The Young Vic | See more from Kwame Kwei-Armah | Ben Okri |

| See more Off/Stage review bytes on IG |