Ch>nce to make a Ch>nge

Sunday night I watched Chances a play written and directed by Yakes and Christopher Andrade. The play followed the lives of teenagers living on an estate and the issues they encounter due to this “gangster” culture that everyone in London is only to aware off.

The play spans over 3 weeks and within we see 2 paths that are available for all to take. The left can only lead to a dead end whilst the right could lead to possibilities beyond the estate. Ohmar the protagonist is faced with this dilemma. A talented footballer he has the chance to try out for Fulham but things do not go smoothly as his circle of friends threaten to disrupt his dreams. What happens? What did he decide to do?

We follow Ohmar but also his associates through which the writers scratch the surface on the cycle that being in a gang perpetuates. Wanting a better life, though doing criminal activities to achieve it. This and the “ride or die” mentality of this surrogate “family” actually keeps individuals stagnant and locked into a false sense of loyalty cloaked within a sense of togetherness and progression.

                                                                     Chances official trailer
I particularly liked the glimpse insight into the aggressive nature of girls and the pressure they are exposed to as girlfriends of gang members. Potential victims of domestic violence is evident as is the various levels of manipulation layered amongst the “If you love me you would do it” and “You’re the girlfriend of the top dog, you better do it”. This is an under acknowledged area and I am pleased they touched on it!

So many involved in this nonsense culture are scared, but cannot show they are scared so they pretend they are macho “bad men”. In fact they are forced to be this way otherwise they become prey to the predators. The talk is soon followed by action… and consequences. As my mind wondered, it seems clear to me that whether by steel or bullet, fear, loss and hurt is inevitable. There are no winners here and the amount of young people carrying guilt and/or a secret is potentially massive. What a huge weight on young shoulders?

Is this drama imitating life? Yes, though I commend the writers for aiming to go deeper to show various perspectives of how decisions can have serious consequences be it death, trauma or the extinction of possibilities. The set was on point as was the stage direction. The warehouse studio gave the performance an abandoned feel and authenticity, as the outside noise of south London could be heard within.

The lighting worked well as did the direct communication with the audience, a Brechtian technique called the ‘distancing effect’ (Verfremdungseffekt) used to break passive viewing. This also occurred through music which broke the action and within the seating arrangement. Breaking convention the actors moved in front, to the side and behind the audience, as a result the opportunity to get sucked in emotionally was never given. "I am watching a play, in a theatre, that is educating me about injustices in society" was the successful aim.

At a crucial stage in the play (the funeral scene) the house lights flicked on to signify the interval. This took me out of the emotive drama and back to reality. I disliked this at the time and questioned the relevance as the break was only 10 minutes, however on reflection this was again part of the Brechtian technique in place to encourage the audience to disconnect themselves emotionally from the play to become critical, not passive observers.

I therefore have to highlight that although tag names added an authentic feel, I couldn’t grasp the characters as well as I wanted to, which meant I was lost sometimes. I also acknowledge that I really wanted Ohmar’s character to be good at something other than football. He could have aspired to go to university like his girlfriend Cherelle to become a lawyer, business man, IT consultant or doctor! The possibilities were endless and I feel they feel short.

Due to the drama, he missed his opportunity to try out for Fulham, but was given another chance as Charlton were interested. He was happy as “Not everyday someone like me gets these chances”. Someone like me? What? A black boy from a council estate? It is down to us to redefine how we are seen so that we are greater than  (>) what we are told and what we believe about ourselves. This is so important especially for young black boys. It is here the play ended and I was disappointed.

I applaud anyone who can write a script and then bring it to life; it is not an easy thing to do. Both writers, team and actors did a good job, however with good writing skills and vision it would be refreshing if new themes were tackled. I look forward to seeing their future projects.


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© Lisa Bent 2011