Review: STATUES, Bush Theatre

Photo credit: Harry Elletson

Statues, written and performed by the talented Azan Ahmed, is a deeply poignant and beautifully crafted piece of theatre. Directed by Esme Allman, this play explores the complexities of grief, memory, and identity through the lens of a son, Yusuf, who is grappling with the remnants of his father’s life. The story unfolds as Yusuf, while sorting through his late father’s belongings, stumbles upon old tapes that reveal a man he never really knew.

Ahmed’s dual portrayal of both Yusuf and his father Mustafa is remarkable. The decision to have him play all his relatives, transforming seamlessly into each character, is a masterstroke. This clever choice allows the audience to fully immerse in Yusuf’s world, feeling the weight of his grief and his emotional conflict. When Jonny Khan, as the disruptive pupil Khalil, enters the scene, his presence beautifully contrasts the internal struggles of Ahmed's Yusuf.

The direction is sharp, with a clear sense of space and time. There’s a beautiful rhythm in how scenes unfold, ensuring the audience never loses track of the story’s emotional depth. This clarity of direction only heightens the power of the performances, especially in scenes that tackle the theme of family legacy and the burden of expectation.

However, while the writing is powerful and effective, there are moments when it feels like the words become redundant. Ahmed’s physicality and emotive performance often conveys so much that the dialogue sometimes feels unnecessary and the excessive exposition makes the audience disengage. For instance, in a particularly moving scene where Yusuf finds his father’s jacket, the character says, "It’s like someone holding my heart." This is followed by him speaking in his father’s native language, which is so rich in meaning that the subsequent English phrase feels a bit superfluous. In an ironic way, both Yusuf and Ahmed need to trust that the work is good enough and doesn’t need to be overly explained.

Statues is a moving, well-crafted exploration of memory and loss, with Azan Ahmed delivering a performance that is both nuanced and deeply heartfelt. It’s a testament to the power of theatre to convey complex emotions with subtlety and grace, and this production at the Bush Theatre certainly delivers on that promise.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Beatriz Do O

Statues plays at the Bush Theatre until 9 November, with further info here.