Choir Boy - Stratford East ★★★★★

The darkest, most contentious, and divisive topic within Black communities around the globe is thrown into the light and examined at the Charles Drew Preparatory School for Boys, an educational institution exclusively for the children of affluent African Americans (with a few charitable scholarships thrown in).

The contemporary production of Choir Boy is an a cappella musical comedy that first debuted at the Royal Court in 2012. It pulls no punches on the issue of homophobic oppression of Black gay men, and be warned that punches are thrown in this show.

First right hook: the opening scene shows adolescent choir leader Pharus (Terique Jarrett) being taunted with homophobic and racial slurs as the choir is singing at the opening of the school year. Pharus, lovably arrogant, an extrovert, supremely gifted as a singer, vain, ambitious, funny, proud, inwardly sensitive (and often outwardly insensitive), has not come out but has experienced repeated homophobic incidents and verbal attacks against him throughout his life. Despite this, he is authentic, controversial, and flagrantly himself: “I’m just Pharus.”

His only aim is to sing the lead at his graduation commencement.

In this production, writer Tarrell Alvin McCraney has drawn on his own personal experiences of boarding school bullying and critiques the older Black generations for not encouraging young people to “cherish their unique qualities… More often than not, we find the pressures to bully are handed down from adults.” This is represented by Headmaster Marrow’s strong advice to Pharus to “hold it in so they don’t ask; keep your private life private.”

Second right hook: Pharus is demoted as choir lead for reacting to the bullying by losing his focus and not singing the way Headmaster Marrow had coached. True to the Drew honour code, Pharus does not snitch on his peers but hints to the instigator, who coincidentally is Headmaster Marrow’s nephew. The consequences unfold in a series of blows, including an organised vendetta against Pharus. Despite the bullying, Pharus is fearless; he conveys his contentious political views on spiritual music and does not hesitate to upbraid his rival Bobby Marrow (Rabi Kondè) for using the term “slave” rather than “enslaved people”. Dr Pharus’ refusal to collude in machismo behaviour perpetually sets him apart.

The arrival of Dr. ‘Just Call Me Mr’ Pembleton (Martin Turner), ostensibly to coach the students with their applications to the Ivy League colleges, serves to highlight that Pharus’ navigation is not just within a Black community but also foregrounds the restrictions of being true to oneself as a person of colour with sexual difference in the privileged white world. Pembleton, a craggy, grey-haired white liberal, shocks with his opening lines, which raise questions about whether White people ever have the right to make jokes at Black people’s expense.

The theme of the late feminist bell hooks’ ‘personal is political’ theory permeates the entire production. The dialogue, even in its comedy, fearlessly examines the systemic roots of patriarchy, racism, and capitalism. Every Drew student has a backstory of the ideologies placed on them to become acceptable, strong, straight men, dominant in their direct communities, but not to the extent that they threaten white dominance. McCraney shows where peer pressures can exceed those expectations: proof to show strong Black consciousness and straight manhood prevail.

McCraney’s script skilfully incorporates the constraints of Christian fundamentalism, which is so very prevalent in pan-African culture. It dominates and often restricts individualism. It also frequently perpetuates extreme anti-gay rhetoric. This is shown in the comparison between free-spirited Pharus and the pastor’s son David (Michael Ahomka-Lindsay), a sweet, quiet, kindly boy destined to follow in his father’s footsteps but who is deeply troubled and desperate for his father’s approval.

The phone home scenes highlight the family dynamics of each student: Pharus, who appears to have an easy, free-speaking repartee with his mother, cannot, despite his achievements, persuade her to be present at graduation, which forces the question of whether she feels embarrassment about who he is.

There are many moments of emotional beauty in this production, such as the friendship between Pharus and his dorm mate, AJ (Freddie MacBruce). It is jocular, flirty and edgy. Yet despite their familiarity, Pharus is unable to reveal his inner, sexual world. A world that, when revealed, brings a storm of cyclonic proportions. More blows and consequences!

Through a dialogue that is fun, cheeky, and full of swagger, grave topics are dexterously presented. There are subtleties in the code-switching vernacular between the students, which changes when they are addressing Headmaster Marro and Mr Pendleton. Be warned that the dialogue is peppered with the N-word; its use amongst the students and when said in the presence of Mr Pembleton brings a huge and shocking reaction. Again, McCraney delivers a controversial and still ongoing issue about when and how (if ever) the word is used and who gets to use it.

The a cappella singing is moving, sweeping and beautiful. It stirs the soul and brings a poignancy where music can unify despite division. Each cast member, as the student choir ensemble, is a fantastic singer in their own right, and each has a solo opportunity. Kahlid Daley, who plays Jr., should be a pop star!

The songs are a deep dive into the spirituals and gospel music archives, emotively delivered (how do they get their starting note?). There is also a jaunt into the ’quiet storm’ songs, which will delight lovers of vintage R&B.

This is an ensemble piece that allows Terique Jarret to shine as a comic actor; their timing and delivery are second to none.

To the creatives: a big shout-out to set and costume designer Max Johns, whose use of the budget is genius in its simplicity and effectiveness. The school hall, classroom, dorm, and shower room are clearly defined in the presentation. Credits also for sparing the blushes of the three cast members who do not know how to tie a school tie from scratch!

MOBO-nominated arranger and musical director Femi Temowo, associate musical director Michael Henry, and composer/sound designer Donato Wharton are to be commended for a historical journey to musical heaven; whether or not Gospel/R&B falls within your genre of choice, expect to be transported and moved. Without spoiling one of the most intense and emotional scenes of the show, Ingrid Mackinnon, as movement director and intimacy coordinator, is to be congratulated. Everything that could have been done has been done in showing what young, romantic love is beyond the constructs of gender and sexual orientation. Credits for accuracy and consistency of dialect must be given to Aundrea Fudge.

Finally, to Nancy Medina, director, whose relationship with Choir Boy has been long-standing since the Bristol Old Vic production, and Tatenda Shamiso, co-director, there is the most fervent hope that the vision and courage shown in this production will win awards.