In Chris Urch’s ambitious second play, he dives headfirst
into the crisis of homosexuality in Uganda. Its title, The Rolling Stone, relates to a newspaper circulating in the
capital city of Kampala in 2010 in which suspected homosexuals had their faces
printed. During this time, homosexuality was still a crime, with gay people
facing the death penalty – that is, if they weren’t murdered by fellow members
of the community. Western countries may still be striving for equality, but
this urgent piece of writing shows how far the rest of the world still has to
go.
At the centre of the story is the growing romance between Ugandan
native Dembe (Fiston Barek) and Irish-Ugandan immigrant Sam (Julian
Moore-Cook). It’s a touching and believable relationship, balancing the frank
intimacy of intercourse with an overbearing sense of fear, the two men forever
watching their backs. And where so much gay theatre settles into tired ‘coming
out’ stories, The Rolling Stone puts
a twist on things. Here, Dembe isn’t struggling to come to terms with his
sexuality; instead he’s confident in his feelings, but simply unable to express
them due to the oppressive society he lives in.
What’s most refreshing though is that the real focus of the
play is the impact of Dembe’s sexuality on his family. You see, not only did
gay people face the death penalty, but their family could also face
imprisonment. And with Dembe’s family devoted to evangelical Christianity, it’s
a toxic environment – though crucially it’s fanaticism, not faith, that’s the
enemy.
The Rolling Stone,
then, is a moving and powerful family drama that sensitively handles a deeply troubling
subject. Urch’s script is full of credible dialogue – remarkable when he’s yet
to visit the country himself – and the simple staging highlights the intimate
moments and the confident performances that play out with such conviction. As the
mute Naome, Faith Alabi does more with one single scream than others can do
with a whole monologue, whilst Sule Rimi’s Joe delivers a frankly terrifying anti-homosexual
sermon. Faith Omole’s Wummie, though, is perhaps the most interesting character
of all: torn between love for her brother and duty to God, she (like the
audience) is complicit in Dembe’s relationship, but tragically helpless to
assist.
4/5
Watch: The Rolling
Stone runs at the Orange Tree Theatre until 20th February.
Photos: Manuel Harlan
