Review: HALF BREED, Soho Theatre

Jazmin is different. In an area dominated by whiteness, her mixed-race complexion sticks out a mile off. Attempting to avoid her West Country village's conventional route for teenagers, she applies to drama school in London. But why does she wish to leave a peaceful area for the busy and polluted capital?

Well, firstly, Jazmin doesn't want to have a baby, but most importantly she no longer wishes to put up with racism at her local pub. She needs to escape the society that oppresses her for the colour of her skin.

Natasha Marshall is a graduate of the Soho Theatre Writer's Lab. Her monologue, Half Breed, was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon and Soho Young Writers' Award in 2016, before being developed further by Talawa Theatre. Following a successful stint at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it runs at the Soho Theatre through September.

Discussing her identity, Jazmin describing herself as being "50/50, on the fence, lukewarm, in between, maybe". She feels like an outsider in her hometown, and she's also uncertain of her life's direction.

Her grandmother has paid for her audition, meaning she must practice. The text she has chosen is Hermione's speech from Act Three, Scene Two of The Winter's Tale.

Opening with the line "Sir, spare your threats", the monologue is a motif repeated several times, pointing out the injustice of Jaz's situation, and likening it to that of Hermione's. Like the Shakespearean queen, Jaz isn't allowed to rest and recuperate from torrents of abuse, leaving her physically weak.

Marshall physically exhausts herself throughout the performance, and her over-the-top style generally works. Playing many characters, she is able to switch roles effectively, and has developed a number of clever traits to help distinguish between each one.

Marshall must grasp our attention immediately, and then maintain it for the entire 60-minute piece. However, occasionally her delivery is forced and the play loses its sparky rhythm. Once the audience's attention is lost, it's difficult to play catch-up.

The narrative feels too thinly stretched, and there doesn't seem to be enough content to fill the performance. Because of this, Marshall's writing revolves in circles, never quite getting to where it needs to be. Her closing monologue is unnecessarily explanatory, repeating information that has already been shared.

The semi-autobiographical play has a lot of potential to be impactful. A colleague of mine who is of Caribbean heritage left the theatre in tears, as she was so moved by the text. It tackles important issues, and it feels like it could be developed further as a BBC sitcom or YouTube miniseries.

Half Breed at Soho Theatre until 30 September

Photo credit: Richard Davenport

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