Oxford Street

Published Thursday 8 May 2008 at 17:45 by Nuala Calvi

A product of the Royal Court Young Writers’ Programme, Levi David Addai is carving a niche for himself with plays that explore the intricate power struggles that exist within the self-contained world of the workplace.

His debut, 93.2FM, depicted the jostling life of a local radio station. Here, he takes us into the insalubrious world of Total Sports, a West End sportswear shop staffed by a team of young dreamers.

It’s a snapshot of multicultural London, where the recently arrived Polish security guard, the first generation Ghanaian manager and his black British-born junior are all united by the sense that they could and should be doing something better with their lives.

Our protagonist is Kofi, a wannabe journalist who’s been stuck in the Total Sports rut for two years, despite having a degree. The arrival of an old schoolmate from South London with a plan to get rich quick forces him to question both his life choices and his cultural loyalties, ultimately resulting in him letting down his trusting boss but gaining a new direction in life.

It’s a sleight tale, but where Addai excels is in the utter authenticity of his characters and dialogue, from the posturing Darrell (ex-So Solid Crew member Ashley Walters) trying to big up his nan’s Nissan, to the tender bickering between co-workers Husnad and Loraina (the siren-like Preeya Kalidas).

His style is coupled perfectly with Soutra Gilmour’s immersing design, which transforms the space into a sports shop complete with neon signs and racks of football shirts, the audience scattered about on plastic stools.

The pumping music and dazzling strip lighting quickly become nausea-inducing once we are forced, along with the hapless staff, to spend more than the time it takes to buy a pair of trainers in such an environment.