Locked In

Published Tuesday 3 October 2006 at 18:05 by Zoe Green

An astonishing, enthralling production that successfully blends hip hop and theatre and manages to address ethnic and social issues without being patronizing. Set at East End pirate radio station FM 110, the two ‘wise men’ DJ Tariq and MC Blaze battle out the issues of British black and asian cultures - until gorgeous, sassy Zahida comes along to challenge their arguments. What started as a tolerant easy-going friendship between Tariq and Blaze soon becomes a cultural war. Tales of dissociation is a new form of genre and too often the resulting works are full of cardboard cut-outs with applique issues coloured in with unconvincing psycho-babble (see Not The Love I Cry For at the Arcola). In less than an hour, Fin Kennedy manages to give Zahida, Tariq and Blaze real identities and narratives whose fates we care about. Their actions aren’t always entirely rational, their issues don’t all stem back to some childhood horror, the plot doesn’t all lock neatly together. This is what makes it so good. It’s human, believable and utterly compelling. Visually it is an imposing production and the impeccable choreography is mesmerising. DJ Billy Biznizz’s bangra and hip hop beats and the clever, complex lyrics are the icing on the cake.