Land Of The Free @ Southwark Playhouse, Borough - Review
A perpetually relevant, gripping, political character study, and fun to watch too. ★★★★★
At Southwark Playhouse Borough until 9th November 2024.
Tickets from £16.
Rating: ★★★★★
Land Of The Free is a risky concept, foregrounding John Wilkes Booth, the first assassin of a US president, but the bet paid off and absolutely blew me away. It is an incredible piece of work. Writers Sebastian Armesto and Dudley Hinton have flawlessly combined accurate history, nuanced character work and delightful style into something so good I was upset by the interval.
John Wilkes Booth was an actor in the 19th century, and this play leans heavily into the style to great effect. There is narration, placards announcing time and place and fun, jaunty piano. It occasionally steps out of this into even more playful bits, including a scene delivered entirely in Shakespearean verse and a musical number that starts as Dixie Land. Both are perfectly executed, and genius to even think up. The show is not entirely chronological, occasionally bouncing back and forwards, and the pace is fast and maintained throughout. This slight chaos is crucial character work which builds a picture of Booth not as a genius mercenary assassin, but a young man in need of meaning in a changing world.
The overall approach taken to the man expertly walks a tightrope without stumbling. To one side, apologia for a murderer undeniably motivated by a hatred for Black emancipation; to the other a flat pantomime villain. Aided by Brandon Bassir’s hugely believable acting, Booth is portrayed as a complex man reminiscent more of modern school shooters or online extremists than of a world-changer. We first see him as a boy in fear of an eccentric, abusive father, a sympathetic portrayal setting up a lifelong feeling of inadequacy. As he ages, there’s no shying away from his unpleasantness- particularly impactful scenes include subtly acted rage at being unable to attend a party while a formerly enslaved woman can; anger at former rejections while dating a woman who clearly loves him; and joyful cameraderie and acceptance while planning with Confederate army men. It is a nuanced, intelligent and deeply human portrayal, making a clear (albeit fictionalised) argument that explains but does not justify his historic crime.
Bassir is not the only great actor in the cast. Everyone else is multi-roling and demonstrates tremendous range and skill. Clara Onyemere is the brightest star in a shining cast, with enrapturing stage presence as Lincoln. Sara Lessore’s range is fantastic, rapidly swinging between characters and their diverse accents- some of this credit may go to dialect coach Caitlin Stegemoller, who also worked on the flawless production of Fiddler in Regent’s Park this summer. Owen Oakeshott is stunning as Booth’s father, simultaneously hilarious and terrifying, a performance crucial for the mood of the play.
Costuming and staging, both by Kate Bunce, are very effective. Neither appears to be all that notworthy, but both are essential to facilitating the fast and frequent character and set changes that let this show take advantage of pace and momentum to great effect.
Land Of The Free was not written in response to the attempted assassination of former president Trump this summer, but responds to it very effectively despite only two obvious tweaks (one line, one prop). This is because it is a timeless comment on political violence, instability, masculinity and the flaws of humans. It doesn’t need to directly respond to events to be relevant, because the underlying analysis is so well thought out that it will always be.
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