There’s an infectious air of camaraderie at the REP these days, I noticed it last week at ‘Birdsong’ and again at press night yesterday for ‘Community’, the first home grown show of 2025 at The Door.
Probably stemming from the input of the new artistic director Joe Murphy and the hands-on presence of Andy Street as the new Chair of the REP board. Whatever it is, it’s a joy to see smiling faces everywhere from the FOH team.
Farrah Chaudhry is a new writer who is a graduate of the Rep’s Foundry new writer’s scheme. Her play ‘Community’ is billed as a comedy and indeed it has some very funny moments; but Chaudhry has added some gritty depth to her characters and the personal scars they carry.
Picture by Graeme Braidwood. sSet in Birmingham, Community is a three-hander which opens with Zoya (Sabrina Nabi), an over-indulged rich girl from Edgbaston pacing with her suitcase like a poodle-walker in limbo at a bus stop, whilst trying to contact an equally pampered best mate Kate on her mobile for a bed as we learn she has flown – or been banished from – the parental palace.
Turns out Kate is partying away for a few weeks but as luck would have it she espies Leyla (Kerena Jagpal), a casual acquaintance waiting at the bus stop. Zoya greets the bemused Leyla like a long-lost chum and swiftly manipulates her into taking her back to her flat and providing the said bed.
Here, in a very basic rented flat, Zoya also meets Leyla’s flatmate Khalil (Sayyid Aki) – a Syrian refugee from his war-torn country. Leyla and Khalil run the local community centre where the poor and the struggling find solace in the activities they provide.
Picture by Graeme Braidwood. sAlice Chambers directs at a breakneck pace taking us at the gallop through the machinations of the relationships between the three protagonists. At times the pace makes it a little difficult to follow as does Chaudhry’s occasionally chunky text – but what new work doesn’t need fine tuning?
That small criticism aside, there are some glorious moments to cherish, performed by the three actors who are individually watchable and collectively effervescent.
There is one moment of pure theatrical gold when Khalil performs his own poem at the Community Centre talent contest. His poignant words on the fate of his beautiful homeland make the hairs on the back of the neck tingle.
Picture by Graeme Braidwood. sThe mission of any community is that of bonding to make the sad and bad times bearable and the fun times sharable. Chaudhry’s ‘Community’ screams this loud and proud, underpinning incidentally the REP’s current ‘happy place’ vibrations.
Community runs at the Birmingham REP’s ‘The Door’ studio theatre until Saturday, February 8. Click here for times, tickets and more.
