Review: THE JUNGLE at Shakespeare Theatre Company's Harman Hall

Telling vivid stories of catastrophe is hard, and honoring the real people behind those stories is harder. The Jungle, a play by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson currently on stage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC), meets this challenge beautifully with an unmissable journey that takes audiences to the heart of the refugee crisis. The play focuses on the experiences of a community of migrants in a real encampment in Calais and was inspired by the playwrights' work at the camp, where they formed the Good Chance theatre company alongside the migrant communities living in the Jungle. Several performers in The Jungle lived in the actual Jungle in Calais.

The production currently at STC's Harman Hall is a collaboration between STC and Wooly Mammoth Theatre Company, who brought the show to DC following sold-out runs in London (Young Vic) and New York (St. Anne's Warehouse). The show's immersive environment is no Sleep No More-esque gimmick: To recreate the Jungle, Harman Hall has been transformed into an Afghan restaurant at the camp, with different sections that mirror the nationalities represented in the Jungle camp and eclectic seating ranging from floor cushions to tables adorned with ketchup bottles.

The set design by Miriam Buether is striking and lush with detail, from the longer central tables that serve as platforms for the actors as they move among the audience to the low ceilings made of colorful fabrics to the corkboards covered with flyers seeking missing people. Low music plays in the background, and TVs posted in the corners of the four-walled space show footage from old movies (and later on, real scenes of refugees). The gorgeous lighting design by Jon Clark shows the passage of time throughout the chaos of the play and intensifies its stark shifts between celebration and despair.

The Jungle's exceptional ensemble cast is led by a fourth-wall-breaking narrator figure named Safi, played with magnetic grace by Ammar Haj Ahmad. He guides us through the story of the Jungle and shares snapshots of characters like Okot, in an exceptionally compelling performance by Rudolphe Mdlongwa, who has escaped unthinkable violence in Darfur, and Salar, portrayed with depth and intensity by Ben Turner, whose Afghan restaurant in the Jungle received a (real) four-star review from The Times.

Mingled with the refugees from around the world are variously-intentioned interlopers from the UK. These outsiders struggle to understand the histories of the migrant communities and the complex dynamics of the Jungle. The UK contingent includes Beth, played by the electric Liv Hill, who works to improve English-speaking skills at the Jungle and develops a bond with Okot: One of the play's most potent scenes juxtaposes her outrage at the French police and desire to understand Okot's story with the reality of his past and current devastation. Another is the well-meaning but blundering Sam performed with remarkable energy by Jonathan Case, who develops a controversial housing distribution plan using an algorithm (Sam starts to explain that "it's an English word-" but is quickly corrected: It's Arabic).

While their relationships provide a fascinating window into the rich ecosystem of the Jungle, the interactions between UK would-be helpers and migrants aren't excessively didactic - characters like Beth and Sam might serve as rough stand-ins for the playwrights, but there isn't an assumption that they're stand-ins for the audience. Instead, the play focuses on transparently evoking the world of the Jungle. As the community works to respond to the government's violence and threats of eviction, they struggle to maintain churches, schools, theatres, and restaurants and meet basic needs for safe housing, sanitation, food, and the general distribution of the limited resources needed for survival.

The Jungle has bright moments of humor and hope, but it doesn't turn away from brutal reality. It is remarkably unsentimental, showing just the raw terror, determination, and doubt of navigating a world where basic human needs are met with indifference or hate. It's difficult to imagine a more vivid telling of this urgent story than with these characters, with this cast, and in this dense, immersive environment. From its rich design to its phenomenal ensemble company, The Jungle is a wrenching, one-of-a-kind performance that shouldn't be missed.

-

Running time: Approximately two hours and 45 minutes with one intermission

The Jungle is at Shakespeare Theatre Company's Harman Hall (610 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004) through April 16. The Jungle is recommended for ages 12+ and contains the use of smoke effects, flashing lights, herbal cigarette smoking, flour, peanuts, strong language, loud noises, and blank gunshot effects. Tickets can be purchased at ShakespeareTheatre.org or by calling the box office at 202-547-1122.

To post a comment, you must register and login.