Young Jean Lee: The Shipment

The Shipment - Photo Paula  CourtLIFT’s Artistic Director Mark Ball has given this fresh, funny and unsettling piece, commissioned by the Wexner Centre Ohio in 2008, its UK premiere. Good work Mark, for a cracker.

Opening as a kind of contemporary minstrel cabaret, the cast of five play the stereotypes they are most frequently auditioned for: the crack dealer Omar, the wannabee rapper, his long-suffering mother, the stand-up who has to do racial jokes when he would rather be joking about poop. There is a mention of ‘reverse racism’, currently a hot topic on the comedy circuit, there is stylized hip-hop posturing and casual homophobia – ‘I did not have relations with the anus of a man.’ We shuffle in our seats, laugh a bit or laugh a lot, finding our place as a mainly white audience being faced down in such broad strokes. Then comes a moment of change, sublime in its simplicity and in the precision of its execution. Amelia Workman starts to sing a song, joined by two of the male actors. It is a cover of Dark Centre of the Universe by Modest Mouse, a white indie group. Sung by black performers, acapella, the lyrics ‘I’m not the dark centre of the universe like you thought’ take on new meanings. The effect is mesmerizing, challenging the audience to see past stereotypes and find common humanity.

Young Jean Lee has made her name by tackling race, gender and political issues through her theatre work in the USA. She has worked with the Wooster group and fronts a band called Future Wife, which played at Brighton Festival in 2013. Perhaps as a Korean-American she finds herself more able to comment on and reflect about what she sees around her with humour and candour. She has certainly gathered a terrific cast for this production of The Shipment, and their acting chops are given full range in the second half.

Scenery is elaborately brought on by stage hands in matching casuals (echoes of Tim Crouch’s what happens to the hope at the end of the evening here). There is a sofa, coffee table, lamp, vase, drinks trolley. Cushions are plumped, nibbles arranged for the perfect party (that most theatrical of set ups) or a classic sit-com – the setting has all the gloss of an episode of Friends. What follows is an intelligent and hilarious take on the relationship-driven drama with caricature characters given masses of back-story and depth. Devised by Young Jean Lee with the cast (this time asked to play the part they have always dreamed of) each rings true in all its bizarreness. Prentice Onayemi as dead-eyed, straight-backed Desmond booms out assuredly stark comments even as his duplicity is revealed. Mikeah Ernest Jennings gives tightly wound loser Omar a wild physicality. Jordan Barbour brings warmth and pathos to Michael, who is at the party by mistake. Amelia Workman is more naturalistic now as Thomasina, trying to hold everything together as Douglas Scott Streater’s Thomas unravels. The dialogue sparkles, skewering stereotypes while representing them. If this was a TV series it would run and run. The Shipment, so-titled to suggest shipments of slaves, or Amazon DVD box-sets, has the power to upturn perceptions and churn the brain. It ends with one last trick, and it might just be on us.

This entry was posted in Reviews and tagged on by .
Avatar

About Lisa Wolfe

Lisa Wolfe is a freelance theatre producer and project manager of contemporary small-scale work. Companies and people she has supported include: A&E Comedy, Three Score Dance, Pocket Epics, Jennifer Irons,Tim Crouch, Liz Aggiss, Sue MacLaine, Spymonkey and many more. Lisa was Marketing Manager at Brighton Dome and Festival (1989-2001) and has also worked for South East Dance, Chichester Festival Theatre and Company of Angels. She is Marketing Manager for Carousel, learning-disability arts company.