A fusion of hip hop theatre, beat boxing and spoken word, this production is based on the real life 1998 killing of a young 19-year-old African American woman, while she was lying unconscious in her car. Looking at her life, her hopes and dreams, this explores imagined memories and experiences, in twelve different beats, one for each of the bullets with which she was shot. Exploring the impact of race and police violence in her death, while also showing the spirit and humanity of a young woman’s dreams, it is a heartbreaking and mesmerising production.
Jada Evelyn Ramsey delivers a striking performance, drawing us in with her funny, sweet, confident and self-defensive portrayal of Myeisha Mills. Like many young women she dreams of her future, her love life, her friends and having fun. She also lives in a world where violence exists, and safety is important. As each beat of her memories is explored and she moves through her dreams, we get a growing image of a woman who is simply being in a world where she can be viewed with suspicion simply because of her colour. Ramsey is an accomplished dancer and performer, with whip-smart lyricism in her dialogue pulling us into the beats. Mills is shown as a force of nature, bright with her whole life ahead of her. With the dissection of her bullets, as we realise this is the examination of her loss, each beat hits harder.
Josiah Alpher is equally skilled as the beatboxer/DJ/medical examiner. His sounds and delivery underscore the beats of Mills journey, complementing each dream and hope with the changing ebb and flow of her energy, her expectations. There is power in the beats and as these bring alive the energy of Mills and her life, she becomes a full human being through the beats, the lifeblood of her voice, moving through Alpher’s vocalisation.
Rickerby Hinds script is beautifully, lyrically written, staying with the audience long after the end of the show, a powerful statement of a world that still exists today in America. It is a timely reminder of the impact of being treated as ‘other’ and the price of a life within that.
Show Time: 9-24 Aug (not 11) @ 13:30
Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower
Ticket Prices: £13-£14
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/dreamscape
Warnings: Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes. Space Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible Toilets. May not apply to all performances.
Age Suitability: 14+ (Guideline). Babes in arms policy: Babies do not require a ticket. Policy applies to: Children under 2 years. Age restrictions: No under 16s after 21:00