Review: The Legends of Them, The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic – ‘Disarmingly powerful and authentic’

40 years ago, during a raid on her Brixton home, police shot and seriously injured Cherry Groce, a mother of six. The incident sparked two days of rioting and resulted in Mrs Groce being consigned to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

When Sutara Gayle (aka Lorna Gee) steps into a sparsely lit space and begins a monologue that takes us back to her days as a troubled young person turned supremely talented reggae artist, and to her ancestral roots in 18th century Jamaica, we’re immediately aware that we’re in the presence of an extraordinarily powerful woman – not least because she is the sister of Cherry Groce.

That experience, plus those of growing up gay and black in the straight, white Britain of the 1970s and 80s, informs this short yet commanding piece.

In it, Sutara Gayle channels the voices of her mother, sister and brother, and of Nanny of the Maroons, a female Jamaican revolutionary who led a band of escaped slaves in a rebellion against British rule, finally establishing their own independent colony on the island. Gayle is an ancestor of Nanny, and that same defiant, eloquent spirit looms large in her monologue.

By turns humorous and angry, Gayle leads us through her journey, taking in a turbulent education, time spent in prison, the acknowledgement of her sexuality and experiences in the deeply sexist, drug-fuelled music business.

Her mother’s protective yet judgemental narrative is woven carefully through the action, contrasting with the spiritual wisdom offered by her brother Mooji.

The story of her sister’s shooting and the riots that followed is dealt with deftly; Gayle simply sits on the floor and, with the audience, listens as a BBC newsreader of the era talks us through the events with typically clipped Received Pronunciation.

In front of a simple set comprising a table, a chair and an imposing sound system, Gayle’s story is a patchwork of events, voices, snatches of memory, fragments of song and inspiration from centuries ago.

In places the narrative feels disjointed; memory, however – especially that informed by trauma – is rarely linear and so the constant switching between events is authentic, if a little hard to follow at times.

What really comes across in Gayle’s narrative is a deep sense of strength riven with self-doubt and vulnerability. When, at the finale, she sings from the top of the speaker system, there is a feeling that this is valedictory – a goodbye to a troubled past.

And yet, for the record, no-one was ever convicted of Cherry Groce’s shooting and it took the Metropolitan Police almost 30 years to apologise for the event. Maybe some ghosts are far harder to lay than others.

The Legends of Them is at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic on November 14-15 at 8pm, with an additional 3pm matinee show on Saturday. Tickets are available at www.bristololdvic.org.uk.

All photos: Harry Elletson

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