Daniel Bailey, director of the revered Red Pitch, helms the latest production at the Bush Theatre, Wolves on Road. Penned by Beru Tessema, who saw success with House of Life at the same venue, the play is a collaboration with Tamasha Theatre Company.
We are taken back to 2021 and introduced to Manny (Kieran Taylor-Ford). The young Bow resident who lives with his mum aspires to be rich and devotes most of his time to selling knock-off designer gear. When his friend Abdul (Hassan Najib) persuades Manny to get into cryptocurrency, his desire for ‘making it’ morphs into an obsession. Luring his family into new waters, our protagonist learns the hard way that not everyone is immune to being scammed.
With stellar performances and high production values, this has all the hallmarks of a memorable piece of theatre. Alas, while our engagement is mostly held, there is a yearning for something deeper beneath the surface. Theatre should leave lingering thoughts and make commentary on the world. It is therefore unfortunate to report that this production ultimately feels a tad superficial. Perhaps that was the point.
Bailey knows how to capture youthful black males in the most authentic way, and it’s a joy to witness the friendship between Manny and Abdul. Both actors are endearing, well cast and inject energy into an already high-tempo production. Alma Eno and Ery Nzaramba also bring a great deal to proceedings. The issue here is the lack of dramatic stakes. As impressive as the performances are, one questions why we should care about these characters and the likes of Bitcoin. Such subject matter doesn’t exactly lend itself to theatre, although Tessema’s research into it should be commended.
More a drama of friendship than finance, Wolves on Road seems at a loss as to what it is trying to say. At two and a half hours, it is also too long and in need of an edit. A rare misfire for one of London’s most exciting theatres.
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