New Wimbledon Theatre Studio is the perfect venue
All Roads with characters Matthew and Chantal
The intimate setting of New Wimbledon Theatre's Studio was the perfect venue for the powerful performance of 'All Roads', a new play about two young black lives shattered by grief.
The drama by Roy Williams tells the story of North Londoners Matthew (played by Tristan Waterson) and Chantal (Kudzai Mangombe). Matthew's ambition is to be an architect and Chantal to run her own hair salon.
But will life get in the way of their dreams?....Matthew has to continually challenge assumptions he is in a gang, while as a schoolgirl Chantal and her friends face race discrimination.
While the two actors are the only performers in this hour-long show, they brilliantly take on a range of accents so characters such as Matthew's mother, his born-again Christian father and "the feds" (the police) are also involved. Both Waterson and Mangombe have opportunities for their talents to shine, and I'd like to see them in longer productions.
As the story develops, Matthew and Chantal are drawn together by the suicide of Matthew's sister Tash and his ex-partner Yasmin. The drama is heightened by background music which plays throughout and helps complete the atmosphere.
By Sue Choularton
March 17, 2023