FringeReview UK 2024

Princess Essex

Shakespeare’s Globe Stages

Genre: Adaptation, Biographical Drama, Comedic, Comedy, Costume, Drama, Mainstream Theatre, Musical Theatre, New Writing, Outdoor and Promenade, Theatre

Venue: Shakespeare’s Globe

Festival: FringeReview UK

Low Down

Review

The facts, gloriously, don’t speak for themselves. We know this much: In 1908 Princess Dinubolu of Senegal becomes the first woman of colour to enter a British beauty competition at the Southend’s Kursaal entertainments hall; or grandly, palace.

Anne Odeke’s Princess Essex, originally developed as a monologue during lockdown and delivered by her as theatrical stand-up-cum-lecture at the Bush in 2022, is now expanded with a full cast lasting 160 minutes. It opens at the Globe, featuring Odeke in the title role and directed by Robin Belfield till October 26^th.

Who Princess Dinubolu was is unknown, but Odeke with others has suggested she was an Essex princess: indeed a Southend one she names Joanne, again played by herself in this fizzing Vaudevillian drama. With far more going on beneath its frequent numbers it’s hugely likeable too. Composer Simon Slater has his quartet play variants of ‘Beside the Seaside’ and other Edwardian fare in boaters. They just as often accompany cast members singing.

A bi-racial woman terminally disenchanted by her employer Mrs Bugle (Lizzie Hopley) with her genteel racism, Joanne’s aspiration is tweaked. She encounters a diminutive young man Batwa (Alison Halstead) performing as an ‘exotic’ African brought in by a Colonel (Nigel Barrett) as a variety act. Joanne’s outraged, particularly when she finds Batwa in English garb speaking straight London.

This is the first of a more complex inter-racial dialogue between Black protagonists. They prove the most interesting moments, as well as key plot drivers. Odeke as performer is riveting, especially confronted with casual racism to which she responds with telling silence. Elsewhere Odeke’s blasts of comedy recall her stand-up skills. Yet she’s generous with other actors and their multi-roling parts, several of which she originated herself. Though stock characters abound there’s a few more strongly-profiled. Actors seize on them with brio.

Batwa at first dismisses Joanne with racial slurs pivoting around authenticity, but since the Colonel has to conveniently leave for a while, Joanne lands a job to look after Batwa.

The first half of the play is initially super-relaxed around Hayley Grindle’s set of props (including chaises-longs and sumptuous Edwardian costumes) over which hangs the Kursaal in neon, even in daylight. The cast carousel to Slater’s music and Ingrid Mackinnon’s swirl of movement direction.

Joanne’s ambitions are piqued by events. Prevented by a ‘colour bar’ from entering the Folkstone beauty pageant, she finds her home town’s hosting one.

A dovetailed subplot includes debt-ridden, duffed-up Kursaal owner Mr Bacon (Matthew Ashforde) making much of a hapless man lucky enough to be married to the resourceful Mrs Bacon (Jamie-Rose Monk), who seizes on outdoing Folkstone. They make common cause with Joanne: this should go international. They’re aided by canny Mayor Ingram (Simon Startin) who, when objections to Joanne arise, appeals to Edward VII himself (John Cummins), since Senegal is part of the Entente Edward is famed for. Ever the internationalist, Edward decides.

Cue ‘Flirty Bertie’ a swaggeringly long (overlong?) number providing a climax to the first half with Cummins romping centre-stage like a roué on speed. There’s even a voluminous Edward drape. The whole cast, as quite often, parade like this is the last show of summer: which it is. Edward’s a French speaker; Joanne is meant to hail from Senegal. It might have suited Odeke for Edward to suss Joanne with a more cunning outcome. As it is, in the tauter second act, Odeke the dramatist plays off Edward’s playboy image against his grasp of realpolitik and empire: and – as Joanne finds – colonising women is part of that.

Another subplot swirls round Ingram’s daughter Violet (Eloise Secker) entering the competition incognito, aided by maid and Suffragette Harriet (Yasmin Taheri). It’s interesting but feels underdeveloped which with Secker’s and Taheri’s fine performances is a pity. There are various parts for Globe regular Sophie Mercell as an outraged Nun, and a gallimaufry for Syakira Moeladi.  But a crucial one arrives late for Kayla Semper (on this occasion, alternating with Janai Bartlett) as Eve: who makes a crucial intervention when Joanne’s spirits are down, earning huge applause.

Indeed applause is where audience participation chiefly lives. It’s not always required in Globe-commissioned plays, but this deceptively undemanding but subtle celebration of Britain’s Black history is a crowd-pleaser too. One that repositions Black identity whilst neatly filleting comfortable tropes around Edwardiana and vaudeville. Princess Essex should enjoy a touring life beyond the Globe. It might benefit from slight trimming – two-hours-forty could prove long outside the wooden O. Yet the more we see of such uplifting, uproarious, yet probing works the better.

Musicians: Composer Simon Slater, Banjo/Guitar Ashley Blasse, Percussion Louise Duggan, Saxophone/Clarinet Melanie Henry, Bass Trombone/Tuba Yusuf Narcin

Director Robin Belfield, Set Design Hayley Grindle, Movement and Intimacy Director Ingrid McKinnon

Costume Supervisor Isobel Pellow, Globe Associate – Movement Glynn MacDonald, Head of Voice Tess Dignan, Voice and Assistant Coach Ellen Hartley

Head of Stage Bryan Paterson, Head of Wigs, Hair and Make-up Gilly Church, Head of Wardrobe Emma Lucy-Hughes, Head of Company Management Marion Marrs, Head of Props Emma Hughes, Stage Manager Rebecca Austin, DSM Kit Fowler,  ASM Danielle Whitfield, Casting Becky Paris CDG.

Till October 26^th

Published September 20, 2024 by Simon Jenner