Wolves On Road ★★★★ Bush Theatre | Nov 9 - Dec 21, 2024


Manny's plan to make money through selling "designer" accessories doesn't work out. So, when his bro, Abdul, suggests they become cryptocurrency traders, he soon acquiesces. However, when that also doesn't succeed as planned, Abdul's next idea is for them to become marketers for a cryptocurrency exchange platform. Given Manny's track record, it is not difficult to predict what the outcome of that venture will be. Running parallel to the story of Manny's get-rich-quick ambitions is his mother's more modest dream of opening her own restaurant. Manny has a tense relationship with his mother's boyfriend, Markos, an immigrant from Ethiopia whose own goal is to save enough money to bring his son to the UK. Manny is dismissive of the older man's values and probably jealous of his relationship with his mother. Unfortunately, the connection between the story of Manny's personal issues and his wild schemes isn't very clearly brought out. Writer, Beru Tessema's play seems to be mainly about aspiration and generational differences in how one might achieve success, but there is also the question of Manny's personal family issues. The two threads run parallel to each other, but their interconnection seems insufficiently explored. It is also somewhat confusing that at the end of the play the two protagonists seem to have learned very little from their experiences. The conclusion which shows them play-fighting rather undermines their acceptance of the damage they have done to others, or any notion of what they have learned from their experience. It leaves the audience uncertain about what Tessema is actually trying to tell us. The strength of the work, however, is its absolutely sharp and humorous dialogue and its strong creation of characters. The relationship of Manny and Abdul is completely credible, and the two friends are brilliantly captured by Kieran Taylor-Ford and Hassan Najib. Both actors are completely convincing, and like Ery Nzaramba as Markos, they bring a strong sense of authenticity to their roles. Indeed, Nzaramba is quite perfect as the hardworking, garrulous elder who is eventually seduced into the young men's scheme for fast profits. Wolves On Road is a fascinating work that explores some very interesting ideas, but there is a sense of incompleteness about what it is trying to convey. Nevertheless, its power comes from its pitch-perfect presentation of character and its portrayal of contrasting generational values.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Helen Murray

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