Embracing the finesse of language, spoken word artist Inua Ellams’ autobiographical The 14th Tale intends to thwart audience expectations of ‘the young black male in London’ with an intricate look at a young man embracing a mischievous side which notoriously runs in his family.
Produced by Fuel, The 14th Tale made its debut back in 2009 at the Arcola Theatre, moving on to the National Theatre where it saw much success. Now at Tara Arts in south west London for only a short period of time, one can’t help but notice that Ellams’ intricate autobiographical piece is perfectly suited to intimate venues such as this.
As he stands alone on stage wearing what we assume to be a blood-stained t-shirt and trousers, it’s easy to expect The 14th Tale to be another story of a young black man in London who has been swept up in knife/gun crime. Instead we are provided with a complex tale of family life, friendship and love.
With Ellams’ intelligent form of storytelling, we travel with him from his childhood in Nigeria to his adolescent years in Dublin and London. He reveals that his grandfather and father were infamous in the village for their troublesome pranks. Clearly intent on upholding his birthright, he causes trouble wherever he goes and invariably gets caught.
With his only stage prop a chair, Ellams incites the imagination of the audience through his words, creating a gentle rhythm that doesn’t allow the mind a moment of respite as he eloquently retells key moments in his life. An absolute pleasure to listen to, the delicacy of language utilised in The 14th Tale contrasts with the leaping and bounding about on stage. There is real energy to the show, with some hilarious impersonations of the people he has met.
Overall The 14th Tale is the playful story of a man grounded in his past, proud of his heritage and mixed cultural upbringing. Delivered with perfect timing in a wonderful style, it’s both a playful and intelligent production.