Award-winning playwright Diana Nneka Atouna’s Trouble in Butetown has premiered at the incredible Donmar Warehouse this week. Set in Gwyneth Mbanefo‘s illegal boarding house during World War Two, the play tackles racism, cultural differences and grief.

The show opens in Gwyn’s living room in the early hours; in fact, we rarely leave Gwyn’s living room throughout the show. The scene is warm and full of drink, or more specifically, moonshine! Norman, one of the illegal lodgers (played by the talented Zephryn Taitte) expresses how lucky he is that Gwyn takes "people of all colour in". Gywn’s daughter Connie comes home late and after receiving a rebuke from her Mother, she sings a soulful song of the era: Love Me Completely, accompanied beautifully by Norman on the piano. While the adults drink the night away, Gwyn’s youngest daughter sneaks outside the back and discovers GI Nate who is on the run and covered in blood. Nate manages to secure one night at the boarding house in return for his Uncle’s moonshine recipe. Throughout his stay, we discover Nate's story, one haunted by the ghosts of segregation and racism in America.

The cast is strong and full of life. The real star however is Gwyn’s youngest daughter Georgina (played by Rosie Ekenna), whose natural comedic talents bounce off the stage.

Peter Mckintosh’s subtext-laden set remains the same throughout - we are in Gwyn’s 1940s living room, with her late husband’s picture, boxing gloves and old records ever-present. Above is the upstairs to the boarding house and also what later represents the docks; although this is a little underused and a missed opportunity to add more texture to the staging.  Oliver Fenwick’s simple lighting remains warm when the characters come together in the house.  We know Nate is a GI long before his first line due to his American uniform. The rest of the cast are dressed in 1940s attire, with Gwyn in simple slipper boots, alluding to the fact that she rarely leaves her boarding house. 

There is great humour and the theme of grief is deftly woven throughout the story, as we learn of each character's losses and ultimately their sacrifices due to the period. It is brave to slow the pace of the show in the first half, although, there are several times the first act feels like it should have come to a close earlier. When it does, the entire cast fills the room, performing a wonderful jive on stage to an old 40s record. All of the action, it seems, is saved for the second half, where we discover there has been a murder...

Trouble in Butetown has so much to offer. It makes brave choices and reminds us of a truly remarkable yet troublesome time in history. It tells the story of so many people, which is perhaps why, at times, it feels a little thin on the ground. Despite this, there are some wonderfully moving moments from a stellar cast. Go and see for yourself, Besties!

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Sophie Eaton

Trouble in Butetown plays at the Donmar Warehouse until 25 March, with tickets available here.