The shattered pieces of a broken life come together in this new play dealing with the struggles of poverty and immigration. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this story about rags is actually filled with riches.
In the battlefield of life, the hardest strives are taken by the quietest heroes. It’s no secret that the world can, in fact, be a dark place. And though its cruelty stands before our eyes almost every day – too many times we turn our backs for the sake of our own comfort. Sad – but as harsh as it may sound, that’s also the meaning of survival. Reflecting upon the unkindness of society (and the monsters nurtured by its evil) is no stranger to the art of storytelling – let alone, the theatre. From massive epic musicals to more petite intimate productions, the realm of fiction is packed with tales of injustice. Some of them, with enough power to make us question our own beliefs. Some others, as poor as the reality they try to represent – and in the same unfortunate way, prompting us to simply look away.
As the Camden Fringe Festival carries on its bustling fringe offer for the busy summer season, the Body for Rent Company celebrates the international premiere of Homeless, a new play depicting the trials of two vagabond friends – and their struggle to step forward on a road already sentenced to a dead end. Despite its noble intentions for truthfulness and awareness, none of its attempts ever come to fruition – with the piece being too flawed by a repetitive, unimaginative delivery that really doesn’t bring anything appealing to either the plot or its evolution. There is none of both, in all honesty. Instead, we are presented with a disorganized group of static scenes, where the dialogue seems to go nowhere and the probity (if any) is shadowed by cliched, unrelatable writing.
Albeit the actors are clearly determined to make it work, the unmatching elements of its faulty machinery prevent the montage from having a pulse. There is no pacing because there’s basically no movement – or any flow and development driving its storyline. All of its moments serve only as framing mechanisms – doing nothing else but providing us with the background for a set of events that will never materialize. It’s difficult to care for the characters, and fairly impossible to connect with them, as the foundation of the roles is built from the surface – creating a banal portrayal of an archetype we already know, but doesn’t give us anything to rediscover.
Homeless has however found a home in the London scene, but a long-time eviction may be on its way unless extreme changes are made in its whole substance, which still needs to be figured out. Tale, structure and very thorough polishing will be crucial to grant this piece some sustainability – since as of now, it seems as if it was tearing itself apart. The aim is laudable and the premise, interesting – but those two sparks are not strong enough to keep the fire alive for an entire performance. The potential to take the public by storm still dwells within its theme. But so far, it’s been rained off.
Homeless plays at London’s Hen & Chicken Theatre Bart until 20 August. Tickets are available on the following link.