Crongton Knights

[xanady]

Before our trip to the WE tomorrow,we managed to squeeze in a trip to this new beat-box/rap/hip-hop musical at the B2 studio at the Belgrade,Coventry.
The premise is that a group of friends go on a road trip of sorts to retrieve a mobile phone containing sensitive photos across enemy gang territory in London.
A very powerful and emotive show.Incredible energy in the cast of eight with some versatile multi-role playing.
The vocalisation on the ‘songs’ was truly wonderful.
Great use of a graffiti-covered central platform on a revolve to suggest different locations.
Started at 7 and we were out by 9.30 with a 15 minute interval.
Got three front row seats for 8 squid each...wow!
Touring all over the place.
Excellent contemporary issue-based work with a good smattering of humour to break up the serious stuff and a big heart!

[Deleted]

This is selling dreadfully in Brighton. Not on for another few weeks and already all 3 circles have been closed, just looked at Saturday night and it don’t look as thou they have sold 50 seats in a 900 seater.
I think part of the problem is it sounds like a theatre piece for kids - the blurb is all about ‘mates”. Is it just a teenage thing? I have spoken to several theatre friends here and everyone is assuming it’s for youngsters and not for adults

[xanady]

It is certainly no Matilda or Mary Poppins so not a show for little ones.It features very realistic fight scenes delivered with great conviction and utilises the use of slow-mo balletic confrontations and some superb physical theatre.The villain character(Festus)comes across as a very believable threat.Older teenagers would ‘get’ the street language which is replete with slang terminology...friends are brethren,knives are shanks and so on.The language takes on a life of its own and is strangely elegiac.
The characterisation was spot on and I did shed a tear or two as I found the whole thing to be very convincing.Audience was full of older teenagers but the show held their attention and barely a sound was heard.
In the programme notes,the joint director’s talk of de-mystifying theatre for everyone and I say amen to that!
New British writing deserves a chance and the show proved to be a very powerful and visceral experience.