'People died for that dream - for all of us. We mustn't forget that. And now we got black men killin' each other! That ain't what we fought for.' Sometimes, a play appears that just has heart. Nina and Shaz, written and directed by Laura McCluskey is such a production. It laces together the stories of a London singer Shaz - whose best friend is shot at a gig by her boyfriend - with the life of 1960s singer, songwriter and activist Nina Simone (1933-2003). The play shifts from Alabama to Brixton to New York, from gun crime on the streets of contemporary London to the 1960s civil rights movement in America.

A cast of eight play over twenty characters. The action moves slickly in and out of nail parlours, ladies' parlours, dressing rooms, prostitutes' lodgings, pubs, jazz bars, nightclubs and council flats - as the worlds of two women who share one dream twine about each other.

Wreh-asha Walton as Nina Simone carries a presence and dignity which sees Nina emerge from an abusive marriage and the difficulties of being a 'woman of colour' in 60s America to become an icon of the era. Scolding a tearful Shaz when she appears in her dressing room, Nina tells her simply to get on TV and to 'tell them you're hurtin''. She adds - listening to the rap that Shaz has put on - 'you turned off my music for this?' Wreh-asha Walton's voice incorporates all the pain, power and richness of Nina Simone's songs into one.

Karla Frye as Shaz delivers a balance to Nina as a bright, precocious child who dances to the Spice Girls and tries to scoff as much ice cream as she can before it is whipped off her. Shaz's struggles with her mother, her poser of a boyfriend and her hopeless father brings the drama down from the heights of Nina - who admits that, while she can cry about the death of a political leader, she 'will not visit her daddy's grave'.

The rest of the cast play all other roles. Nathan Clough adds especial humour with his portrayal of Shaz's easygoing no-good father. Rebecca Crankshaw as Shaz's white mother, determined to escape the slums and toilet cleaning of her own existence, is all too touchingly real. Daniel Green is unapologetic in his depiction of Jay - one of the people, as Shaz says, 'without a dream', who descends further into crime. Charlene James provides a sweet-faced friend both to Nina and Shaz, as Richelle and Lucille respectively.

Telling moments - as when Nina's parents (Kevin Golding and Linda Mathis) are shunted off the front row of their daughter's recital in segregated Alabama before being shunted sheepishly back on again - are often performed in virtual silence, using physicality and the close-knit relationships between the characters to get the point across. This intimacy is only interrupted by occasional clunks in the script - which can descend into a rather formal debate over the issues of the day rather than examining the effect that those issues have on the people involved.

An evocative soundscape designed by Helen Skiera overlays the whole production, blending music and urban noise to create an extra level for the characters move through. Multimedia projections, Avril Cook's swift light changes, and Georgia Lowe's adaptable set - involving a piano, a chaise longue, a curtain and a dressing table - enable scenes to shift easily from one moment to the next.

Nina and Shaz is a raw, heartfelt play which - while never completely optimistic - refuses to let go of hope or a sense of humour. Despite the tragedies and hardships, characters continue to get on with their lives - and to try to do something just a little bit different.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Nathan Clough - Dean / Leroy/ Andy / Usher. Rebecca Crankshaw - Danielle / Miss Mazzy. Karla Frye - Shaz. Kevin Golding - Daddy / Manager. Daniel Green - Jay. Charlene James - Richelle / Milly / Lucille. Linda Mathis - Moma / Miss Anderson / Daneesha. Wreh-asha Walton - Nina.

Company Credits: Writer - Laura McCluskey. Director - Laura McCluskey. Designer - Georgia Lowe. Lighting Designer - Avril Cook. Sound Designer - Helen Skiera. Music Director - Darren Batten. Production Manager - Clare Spillman. Lighting/Sound Operator - Roxy Phillip. Producer - Darren Batten. Company - Language Laid Bare.

END

(c) Philippa Tatham 2009

reviewed Thursday 30 April 2009 / Brockley Jack Theatre, London UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com