The 14th Tale
15th – 16th March 2013
Reviewed by
The 14th Tale is both written and performed
by Inua Ellams; he tells the story of a family of troublemakers as the
story winds from the dusty streets of Nigeria to the roof tops of Dublin
then onto the city streets of London. Ellams talks of mischief running
through every male in his family, from his grandfather, to father to himself.
As he retells and acts out the amusing stories passed down through his
family, we can see how these tales have become legends within his family
and he even dares to wonder what mischief his own son may get into one
day.
Ellams is playful as he tells his stories; his poetry is beautifully
written and intelligently performed. It is clear he is proud of his Nigerian
roots but also happy to have had a mixed cultural experience living in
wonderful, exciting places. The personal nature of his autobiographical
stories gives Ellams the freedom to explore them fully; the complexities
of a relationship between a father and his son are made simple and deeply
moving.
In its basic form it is a one man performance piece, with nothing to
aid him but a torch and a chair, but if you allow your imagination to
join Ellams on a journey through his life, we find the story of a life
spent finding the inner mischievous child within. His perfect timing allows
his poetry to show that our expectations of what it means to be young,
black and living in London are not always the case. Simply a joy to watch.
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