Dessa Rose
Trafalgar Studios 2
Reviewed on Thursday 31st July 2014
★★★
Following two young women on their journey to acceptance, Dessa Rose is an intriguingly spiritual piece of theatre. The musical centres around Dessa, a young black slave, and Ruth, a young white mother, who form an unlikely alliance.
Their unique friendship sees the pair looking out for each other in various situations. Based on Sherley Anne Williams' novel, the story is told as Ruth and Dessa relive their ordeals and pass on their story to their grandchildren.
Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's score is influenced by blues, folk, hymns and gospel music. These styles have been fused with musical theatre to create an incredibly refreshing style.
This was my first time seeing a musical inside the tiny studio space at Trafalgar Studios and I was intrigued to see where the band would be positioned. Musicians are dotted around the space, with one even tucked away in the corner of the entrance. Whilst this looks a little odd, the sound is mesmerising - it is rare to hear instruments being played all around you.
The style of the piece is strong, both characters are established well and the score tells the story beautifully. However, we don't see enough of the early stages of Ruth and Dessa's friendship. One minute they don't know each other and the next they have each other’s back. Andrew Keates' production is enchanting but needs time to settle. After only a handful of previews, on occasion the production lacks fluidity. With time I'm confident certain moments will feel less forced.
Following her career defining performance in The Color Purple, Cynthia Erivo takes on another almighty role. Dessa is a complex character but Erivo successfully delves beneath her skin and conveys her strength with humanity. As I've written many times before, Erivo has an extraordinary ability to act through song. Her performance works perfectly in such an intimate space - we are able to appreciate all the small details of her portrayal.
With every role Cassidy Janson steps into she somehow manages to show off a brand new side to her talents. Is seems there is nothing she cannot do as she shines as Ruth who grows and grows throughout the piece. Jon Robyns, Gabriel Mokake and Edward Baruwa all give stand out performances. The entire company are superb.
The journey of Dessa Rose is huge but the piece lacks extreme ups and downs. If you look at other shows about self-discovery and finding strength - think Wicked, The Color Purple etc... – you realise they play with the audience’s emotions. One minute you're laughing hysterically and the next you're overcome with emotion. Dessa Rose is very dark throughout and provides few moments of light relief. The lack of varied tone weakens its power.
Finally, although the score is strong, it doesn't contain the all-important number which stops and allows everything to click into place. Despite being taken on every step of Dessa and Ruth's journey I didn't leave the theatre with closure which is disappointing. Ruth and Dessa deserve some sort of number to bring the story together. I felt for the characters but ultimately I was disappointed the show didn't bring out more emotion from within me.
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
Dessa Rose runs at Trafalgar Studios 2 until Saturday 30th August 2014.
Photo Credit: Scott Rylander
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