Introduction – a play which deserves great credit
This play is one of the best plays currently being shown at the West End and combines several stylistic differences such as allusions to Billy Wilder’s Twelfth Night and other influences such as Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’.
The Zoo Dance Nation Company which was founded in 2002 by Katie Prince is a forward looking company which has already premiered a number of great shows at the West End. The play is full of spatial effects and includes a vast number of moves and hip hop characteristics rather similar to the Hegelian characteristic.
However there is also an element of disjointed parity in the play as described by Gay McAuley in his in depth analysis of the whole drama. Some Like it Hip Hop is based in London and includes a vast number of incredible moves and energy which definitely demonstrates the capability of the actors and the producers.
Hip Hop is not an easy genre to classify but this play includes several elements which are attributed to Mcauley and other intrinsic drama critics. In his book, Space in Performance, Mcauley examines various characteristics on the way theatre buildings function and the way they frame their performance event. In Some Like it Hip Hop, there is the use of performance space to an important degree and this continues to reinforce Mcauley’s theories and ideas.
While one cannot really say that ‘Some Like it Hip Hop’ is a true classic, the vast energy which permeates the play is something which cannot be discounted. The directors use the stage as if it is one vast dance floor and this continues to increase the appeal of the piece. Mcauley insists that a multifaceted approach must be made when discussing such plays and he applies the same kind of thinking to ‘Some Like it Hip Hop’
Plot:
The story revolves around a city whose governor ends up slightly unbalanced by the loss of his wife and eventually locks his community into what is a rather repressive regime. Amongst the rules in this place are the banning of books, the confinement of women to menial tasks and even banishment outside the city. Sudsy who is played by Shaun Smith is the first to suffer this fate while other who eventually end up banished include Kerri and Jo Jo. These eventually find their way back into the city dressed as men as only these are required by the governor at this stage.
The play then descends into a lot of confusion and also some romantic deviations as Jo Jo falls for Simeon who ends up also being recruited for the work party. Kerri finds favour with the governor and also ends up being chased by Oprah who is portrayed by Natasha Gooden whose long lost daughter Simeon eventually falls for Jo Jo in the launderette where eventually all are unmasked and everything ends in what can only be termed as a hugely riotous conclusion.
The plot offers ample opportunity for classic dance scenes and one cannot but fail to admire the boundless energy and charisma of the actors and dancers. They impart a new meaning to the word energy and with their intrinsic and vast knowledge of the hip hop scene they truly bring the play to life in more ways than one. There are obvious shortfalls in certain parts of the production and these will be discussed at a later stage in this essay.
One has to understand that theatre which is distinct from other dramatic media is actually a relationship between the performer and the spectator. In ‘Some Like it Hip Hop’, the constant interaction between performers and spectators are an essential part of the play’s dramatic sweep. Notwithstanding all this action however there are several subtle emotional relationships in the play which are very much part and parcel of the whole proceedings. For example the relationship between Simeon and Jo Jo is perhaps unexpected but when taken in the context of the launderette and its surroundings, everything falls into place rather nicely. Another interesting and intriguing aspect of the play is the fact that motion forms and intrinsic part of what is always going on and this is evident in the constant interplay between the dance scenes which are always ones full of high end motion.
Stage direction:
The stage direction is always an important part of the play and in ‘Some Like it Hip Hop’ there is no difference. The stage is actually used as a Thespian performance space where all the characters interact and interplay together to create a situation where everyone is part and parcel of the whole play. The rhythmic characteristics of the dancers are also important in the sense that they are the whole motor of proceedings where theories are actually brought to the fore.
When one compares ‘Some Like it Hip Hop’ to other plays such as ‘the Lion King’, one is constantly struck by the high levels of energy which permeate the former. As consistently argued by several leading critics, the play is obviously a hugely enjoyable and energetic one although it does lack the complete picture in some respects.
A typical example would be a review by the Guardian’s drama critic Luke Jennings who states that; “Dance-wise, there's not a weak moment. Frantzén is supremely good, combining an effortless technique with highly sophisticated musical phrasing. In his hands, DJ Walde and Josh Cohen's rapid-fire score becomes infinitely pliant: something to have fun with and bend to his own idiosyncratic ends. In owlish specs and nerdy sweater, Franzén is an unlikely romantic lead but he works the look with great wit, just as Gough does with her horn rims and Sandra Dee bangs”.
What does this tell us about the play? One issue which springs to mind is the importance of the costumes which are very much part and parcel of the whole proceedings. However one must also acknowledge the fact that to transcribe a hip hop piece into a play is not always easy, actually it is rather a hard task. However the directors manage to succeed quite brilliantly in the sense that they create a whole new ballgame in the audience’s perception of the situation.
Performance aspects
Again one should turn to the Guardian’s drama critic, Luke Jennings who again sums the whole performance aspect up quite brilliantly; “Inevitably there are flaws. The piece opens with an exposition by a narrator which is rendered near inaudible by poor amplification. The first half seems at once over-plotted and over-simplistic: there are, for example, no unsympathetic female characters, and the overbearing masculine behaviour could be much more subtly drawn. There are structural problems raised by the Oprah subplot, which is central to the resolution but encountered comparatively late in the piece, and in consequence has a tacked-on feel”.
Yes, there are flaws in the play but one can honestly say that these are rather much superseded by other benefits such as the intense emotional energy of the play. However it is true that some of the love scenes could do with a little more spice and character intensity but one has to account for the fact that the play is also full of motor rhythms which leave little space for character exploration.
The way the stage is used is also crucially important as it brings the characters to life in more ways than one. Hegelian techniques are used constantly, especially in the manner that the stage moves to allow the characters to express their own nuances and imaginative traits. Hip hop is used as an art form in the whole perspective and this can also be intriguing as one can note the huge disparity between what actually goes on on stage and what is being transmitted to the audience. In actual fact it is the audience which has to make its own conclusions on various aspects of the play which can be quite a trying aspect but which ends up creating a certain sense of self satisfaction in all this.
Conclusion:
‘Some Like it Hip Hop’ is definitely one of the finest and best productions ever to emanate from the West End in recent years. The way semiotics are used in the whole production are truly extremely powerful and direct and everything moves along quite nicely especially towards the end. The whole play is a summation of what can be termed as an explosion of energy and vitality which concludes in some truly awesome dancing spectacles. The stage is also a crucial and very important part of all proceedings where the characters intertwine and interplay in ways which are perhaps very unexpected and direct.
The way in which the play continues to unfold with the cross dressing and the mini love stories which are such an important part of all the proceedings and which continue to enforce various theories about the importance of Hegelian hegemony. Some Like it Hip Hop is certainly one of those plays which continually grows on you and which has several different aspects that keep you guessing right till the very end.
It is a play which is surely a keen example of what can be achieved with very little and which has dance as a focus. As a conclusion, I would say that the play, ‘Some Like it Hip Hop’ is one which greatly enthuses the mind and which uses space as something which can be expanded and intrinsically initiated into a self contained experience. The whole audio visual experience of ‘Some Like it Hip Hop’ is transcending to say the least and is surely part and parcel of the whole West End appeal.
References:
McCauley G; (1999); Space in Performance; University of Michigan Press
Jennings L (2011); Some Like it Hip Hop – review; Retrieved from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/oct/30/some-like-hip-hop-review ; The Guardian
Schechner R, Apple A (1990); By Means of Performance: Intercultural Studies of Theatre and Ritual; Cambridge University Press
Turner V (2001); From Ritual to Theatre: The Human Seriousness of Play; PAJ Publications
