Chocolate box cottages, rolling green fields, viewpoints out to the sea and little spaces buried into hillsides, the glow of bedroom windows the only light in dark cold evenings. That’s the image of Devon that is painted to many, but what sits beneath that perfect ideal? Villages where teenagers are left with little to do, their limited resources leading them to experiment with alcohol, drugs and loud, wild parties, small places with big skies where they are often forgotten.
‘Outlier’, written and performed by Malaika Kegode, is her own autobiographical exploration of her own story, the people that she grew up with and those who shaped her story, paying tribute to the outsiders who grew up at the dark edges of the countryside. Kegode, playing herself as she tells her tale, is joined on stage by Bristol based band Jakabol, who not only play multiple instruments but fill in as Kegode’s friends, building upon the story and bringing the narrative to life.
This performance poetry piece explores dark themes such as drug misuse, death, grief and trauma, handled with taste and dignity alongside raw emotion as Kegode tells the stories of those she has loved and lost throughout the years. The friends that fell into the darkness, seen as damaged and beyond help, and the friends that helped her through it all. The story is powerful, heartfelt and engaging, with Kegode holding her own in the 2-hour running time, telling her story with the aid of the four band members who take on the roles of her teenage years best friends; Holly (Marietta Kirkbride-Violin), Ama (Emmy Broughton-Harp/Flute), Owen Gatley (Lewis – Drums) and Oskar (Joe Williams – Guitar). Animation by Christopher Harrisson added extra detail and a soft touch to the proceedings.
‘The music in this show is loud’, we were told as we went to enter the Drum auditorium at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, given the opportunity to take a pair of earbuds, which I gratefully accepted. Loud turned out to be an understatement. With the Drum only being a small performance space with a capacity of 200, the plethora of electric instruments used throughout this production created a booming musical backdrop to the piece, sound that bounced around the space and sent vibrations through the seating. It was loud even when wearing the beforementioned earbuds, with the sound pounding in my chest throughout. Whilst, for the most part, I was able to hear the dialogue whilst wearing them, I did have to remove one at points to catch some quieter moments, especially longer pieces of speech by Joe Williams as Oskar, mostly soften spoken and gentle, the complete opposite to his head banging rocky guitar playing. The music itself, all original by the band, was enjoyable, but in my opinion, simply too loud. It’s a real shame because the story is deeply interesting and engaging, but the need to swap ear buds in and out to hear the dialogue and not be bombarded with too loud music became distracting and created a sense of unbalance.
This combination of theatre and poetry night creates an intricate and enjoyable piece, if a little disjointed. Regular breaking of the fourth wall where cast members, as themselves, would directly address the audience for me took away from the story, but I can understand the thought behind it; to create a friendly open environment where people would feel safe to explore darker topics and address their own time growing up.
Overall, ‘Outlier’ is a detailed and heartfelt, true to life, exploration of growing up in rural environments, and how the consequences of doing so can lead people down different paths, some plunging down into darkness where they can so easily be forgotten. Whilst I felt that the music was too loud to be truly enjoyable, the blend of it with Kegode’s poetry and Harrisson’s animation weaves a tale and paints a picture. It will be interesting to see where this piece goes next.
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