Courage and resilience fuel this inspiring story about personal overcoming and self determination. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on this piece dealing with the struggles of an Indian cricketer trying to work his way through school and family, to let us know if this is a show to come see off one’s bat.
Prejudice is ignorance’s armor. But surprisingly enough, it’s too often worn by the wisest of people – or at least, those who are traditionally considered as such. There’s nothing new about a boy being ostracized at school because of the colour of his skin, or due to his different cultural background. Mainly because that’s something that anyone who’s ever felt as an outcast knows of very well. But that’s, however, what makes Duck excel in its own way. In a time when identity issues have turned into a weaponizing tool, Duck manages to build bridges within a world where so many prefer to stay in their own boxes.
Written by maatin, this one-man show tells the story of aspiring professional cricketer Ismail (Smiley for friends – and also those who are not great with languages, to put it kindly). Born into a immigrant family, he is both blessed and cursed with the chance of attending one of the most prestigious schools in the UK. But such privileged education can’t nonetheless prevent him from still being an underdog. At the end of the day, all that matters is money and position. And even if you have them, it will be hopeless if they’ve already decided to look down on you.
Directed by Imy Wyatt Corner, the play successfully manages to engage us in both its narrative and character arc with astonishing speed. Its plot may not be much of a ground-breaker. All in all, it’s just one more story about bullying. But it’s the one you choose to follow. And you’ll be pleased to do so. We feel enticed, and above all, we feel reflected. Maybe not due to our ethnicity, but surely due to our past experiences. Because the universality of this piece is what truly gives its worth – and ultimately, makes it shimmer.
Featuring a reduced but well conceived set by Maariyah Sharjil and a dazzling lighting design by Jonathan Chan, the production takes us on a ride we don’t wish to get off from. Beautifully narrated through its simple but compelling visuals, a great deal of its success belongs, though, to Omar Bynon’s most refreshing performance. Charming, humble and, above all, sincere, his delivery of Ismail (with a few additional impersonations of friends and relatives) is incredibly authentic – bringing out both frankness and proximity to a speech that, some way or another, has the ability to speak separately to each member of the audience.
Featuring a beguiling recount and, most importantly, quite a touching analysis on everyday life’s trials and tribulations, Duck is an honest testimony about the love we profess to others but, primarily, the one we should shed on ourselves. A tale of survival where obstacles and support hold hands on every step of the path, this is not a show about complaining, but about moving forward – as it holds too much strength to stay behind.
Duck plays at London’s Arcola Theatre until 15 July. Tickets are available on the following link.