Allyson Ava-Brown in The Etienne Sisters at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London. Picture: Roy Tan
The Etienne Sisters continues at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London until 3 October.
Rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Last year, Klook’s Last Stand was the sleeper hit of the season at the Park Theatre. Starring Sheila Atim and Ako Mitchell, this chamber musical showcased the combined talent of Chè Walker and Anoushka Lucas, creating contemporary theatre with both originality and emotional depth. Walker and Lucas have teamed up again, with additional music from Atim, to create The Etienne Sisters. Billed as a play with songs, the piece is in fact much more of a musical than the team wants to let on, featuring an exciting score that both feeds and progresses the narrative.
At face value, the story is fairly simple. While dealing with the stress of losing their beloved mother, Ree and Tree are preparing for the wake. Tree is hardworking and focused and seems destined to become a mother-replacement for the slightly aimless Ree. As the family descend upon them, their step-sister Bo turns up, determined to turn over a new leaf and move in with the girls. Bo is trouble, with a capital T but manages to convince the girls that her ‘wild child’ days are over and that she is looking to settle down. All goes well for the three of them at first, but before long cracks begin to appear in Bo’s story and one of the most terrifying mobsters in the area is after her blood.
Walker’s book is remarkably accessible, despite the heavy use of slang and colloquialism, but the themes he touches upon – family, respect and retribution – are universal. The stakes are constantly raised throughout the sisters’ journey and Walker isn’t afraid to explore difficult emotional avenues. This emotional journey is heighted by a haunting and diverse score from Lucas, whose music adds wholly to the drama.
As director, Walker has kept the staging to the minimum incorporating much use of video projection to add further atmosphere to the scenes. This is mostly successful, although the inclusion of credits ahead of the show is an irritating fusion with TV or cinema that simply doesn’t work. Much more acceptable is to feature an exceptionally talented Nikki Yeoh centrestage at a grand piano throughout. Yeoh is both orchestra and anchor – a rock to which the cast of three actors cling to and an enduring reminder that The Etienne Sisters would be so much less without its score.
A talented cast includes Jennifer Saayeng as Ree and Nina Toussaint-White as Tree and Allyson Ava-Brown as Bo. The three knit together believably as a family and have the chemistry to create a solid and engaging piece of musical drama. Ava-Brown perhaps has the edge, but the role of Bo is a gift in musical theatre – vulnerable but utterly outspoken – and the actor rips ups the stage with ‘Something ’Bout Being On the Run’.
Unequivocally a hit, the only real question is ‘What next for The Etienne Sisters?’ Although Walker skilfully shapes his production to fit the large Stratford East stage, this is a very simple show that could easily tour or simply set up shop in a much smaller venue. Either way, there is no doubt that the Walker/Lucas partnership is one to keep an eye open for in the future.
June Brice
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