Review: THE WHITE CARD, Birmingham Rep - Tour

From the opening moments of The White Card, when wealthy white couple Charles (Matthew Pidgeon) and Virginia (Kate Copeland) blithely discuss how much they are looking forward to “acquiring” or “collecting” the works of Black artist Charlotte (Estella Daniels), it’s clear that their forthcoming dinner party to introduce themselves to Charlotte is not going to go well. This one-act play, written by author and poet Claudia Rankine in 2019, and directed by Natalie Ibu, uses the increasingly tense interactions during the dinner party to examine issues of white privilege, white saviourism, and the commodification of Black bodies and experiences. 

Living in Trump-era America, Charles and Virginia have dedicated a lot of money to collecting art by Black artists, exhibiting a history of racial oppression on the walls of their home. Their art dealer Eric (Nick Blakeley) thinks that Charlotte’s photographic works will be the perfect addition. When Charlotte arrives, however, she is made uncomfortable by a series of microaggressions, and by the couple’s attitude towards the artworks. After the dinner party implodes, we travel forward a year, and see Charles visiting Charlotte in her art studio to discuss the new direction her artwork has taken, moving away from highlighting Black pain and instead showcasing whiteness.

Every member of the small cast does an excellent job with these complex roles, delivering the smart, thoughtful script with aplomb. Pidgeon is entirely believable as the well-meaning, pleased-with-himself businessman, confident in his liberal credentials and unwilling to examine his own intentions and how he might be contributing to systemic racism. Copeland is equally convincing as his wife, who thinks that everyone should just “get along”, and whose empathy reaches its limits very quickly. 

Blakely is suitably smooth as Eric, the dealer who loves the sound of his own voice and is happy to explain Charlotte’s work for her, and CJ Coleman is excellent as Charles and Virginia’s college student son, who is involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and despairs at his parents’ lack of real understanding, yet still enjoys the fruits of their lifestyle. The highlight, though, is Daniels, who has a powerful stage presence and gives a richly nuanced performance.

Debbie Duru’s stylish, minimalist set, with its pale furniture and whitewashed floor and walls, is the perfect setting for a play which interrogates the concept of whiteness being seen as a default, and the links between whiteness and power. The scene transition between the party and the studio is striking too, with mirrors literally held up to the audience, asking them to consider ways in which they may be complicit.

This is a challenging, thought-provoking and necessary play which asks important questions and forces viewers to examine their own perceptions. At times, the references to American events come so thick and fast that UK audiences may struggle to keep up, but this is nevertheless a production that everyone should consider seeing.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Laura Lott

The White Card plays at Birmingham Rep until 18 June, with tickets available here.

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