A Strange Loop
When the opening musical number features a fat, queer Black man loudly shouting “THERE WILL BE BUTTFUCKING!” (twice!) you just know this show is going to expose you to things you probably never imagined you’d experience on stage. It’s a musical that doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to uncomfortable topics like racism and homophobia, because these are topics that need to be discussed. No matter how uncomfortable, and without giving you a rest. The show runs 1hr 40min straight with no interval. Which is all the more impressive when you consider that the lead character of Usher, played by Kyle Ramar Freeman, seemingly never leaves the stage.
Playwright, composer and lyricist Michael R. Jackson has devised a clever set-up for his story about Usher, a Broadway theatre usher, who is writing a Broadway musical about a theatre usher named Usher who is writing a Broadway musical. Hence the title, A Strange Loop. It’s filled with fourth-wall breaking, knowing wink-taking scenes and dialogue that conveniently allow moments of calm or levity to puncture the sometimes brutally explicit racist and homophobic encounters that Usher experiences.
Joining Freeman on stage is an ensemble of six “Thoughts”, giving voice to Usher’s innermost doubts and fears like an R-rated version of Pixar’s 2015 film ‘Inside Out’. The ensemble also portrays a variety of secondary characters such as Usher’s parents, his various “romantic” encounters and in one of the more inspired moments of the show, notable historical Black figures for whom simply rolling over in their graves wasn’t a satisfactory enough way for them to express their displeasure with Usher. It’s one of many frequent scenes admonishing Usher, and reminding the audience, not to be shy about embracing what’s possible today only because of the sacrifices of those who had to fight for rights and opportunities we now take for granted. Sadly, many more scenes remind us how far we still have to go.
Jackson has justifiably won countless awards for his well composed musical numbers and bold content, but knowing it’s just actors on stage doesn’t make the unfiltered unpleasantness any easier to digest. There were frequent moments when the end of a scene was met not with applause but shocked silence from the mostly white audience. ‘Show don’t tell’ is the general guidance for visual arts. It’s more impactful than simply explaining something happened, but by the end I started to question what purpose it served for this narrative.
In the case of Usher, and indeed any of the secondary characters, there are no clear growth arcs or moral epiphanies to be had. At the end of the show, everyone is fundamentally the same as they were when it started. Maybe that’s the point? I mean, how many of us actually comprehend traumatic moments when they happen? We might inherently know changes are coming, but seeing them in action often takes years. At least with ‘A Strange Loop’ there’s enough humour and harmony to keep you smiling and singing along in-between the moments when Usher suffers through his struggles.
Plan your visit
‘A Strange Loop’ runs until 09 Sept.
Tickets from £25 // Concessions & discounts available
Visit barbican.org.uk and follow @barbicancentre on Instagram for more info about the venue.
Visit strangeloopmusical.com and follow @strangeloopldn on Instagram for more info about the show.
🖼️ Want more art? Visit the What’s On page to see a list of recommended shows, sorted by closing date. Don’t miss ‘em!