Review: DRIFTWOOD at Kiln Theatre

A wily Englishman Mansion (Roger Ringrose) owns the private drinking establishment known as Alma and for decades has relied on Pearl (Ellen Thomas) to manage it for him, and other venues around the city. When he expresses a desire to return to the home country, Pearl asserts a moral belief that it is her right to assume control of the property as it is the only home she has really known. Her determination is inspired or perhaps incited (depending on your viewpoint) by the anti-colonial, independence politician, Eric Williams whose meetings we learn, she has recently been attending. 

Her daughter Ruby (Cat White) would prefer to be Mansion’s chosen successor and has her own ideas how best to turn a profit by modernising and attracting the glamorous American ‘cocktail crowd’ who since the end of the war have been arriving by tourist ship. Star names are dropped into conversation like Rita Hayworth, Robert Mitchum and Princess Margaret. When the jocular local policeman Seldom (Shane David-Joseph) with whom Ruby has a few sideline hustles, is sent away, a tall handsome stranger takes it as his cue to inveigle his way into the household. Diamond (Martins Imhangbe) challenges the power dynamic and makes a play for Ruby, sensing that there is chemistry and an understanding between them, but we learn that they share the same mother and there are ulterior motives for Diamond's appearance. Matters are further complicated as it transpires he is in hiding from a regional mafia group who believe he has stolen from them. But in his desire to appear strong and to secure a piece of the action one way or another for himself and Ruby, he sets about facilitating deals, including the storage of contraband obtained by Tom (Ziggy Heath) a US Navy serviceman who, along with the captain of his vessel, is on the take.

The driftwood of the title, refers to an omnipresent African-style carved figure which stands on a cabinet upstage throughout, and holds particular significance for Pearl. Representing fertility, motherhood and protection by a female, the figure also comes to represent loss and longing as a sequence of profound events and revelations unfold in the latter stages of the play. Fittingly, given this is a joint production between Kiln and the Royal Shakespeare Company, the final moments assume the essence of a tragedy.

Directed by Justin Audibert on an atmospheric set by Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey, the players tap a rich seam of comedy and jeopardy inherent in Laird’s writing, which scrapes and scratches at colonialism, race, corruption and the template for disparity in opportunity which existed (and continues to exist) in offshoots of Empire even after nations have achieved independence. The tricky Caribbean conversational dialect is quickly delivered by the cast and after a few moments begins to land easily. That said, there were occasional wavers, noticeably into Welsh vowel sounds (which is almost unavoidable), but this will undoubtedly settle as the run continues. 

DRIFTWOOD has an approximate running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes including interval and continues at Kiln Theatre until 4th July.