Caste-ing – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Picture: David Monteith Hodge

Caste-ing continues at Roundabout @ Summerhall, Edinburgh until 28 August 2022.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

This production is superbly suited to this venue: being in the round, others in the audience become part of the scenes you watch. And what you watch is a no-holds barred enactment of the life of a black actress in the 21st century.

The three women performers are simply stunning – the quality of beatboxing, singing, movement and interplay are top notch. Their engagement with the audience is there from their first entrance and the rapport builds throughout.

We see the two more experienced women (Yemi Yohannes and Stephanie Da Silva) giving a newer, more naive, woman (Rima Nsubuga) to the profession a few tips and pointers as she begins her career. The sense of resignation and weariness in the experienced pair are highly contrasted with the enthusiasm and energy of the newer actress.

In this world, casting directors, photographers and filmmakers are generally white and male. The narration of the disparaging treatment dished out is described as “The innermost working of a prejudiced brain”.

Shakira Newton’s lively direction makes excellent use of the performance space and Vanessa Garber’s music gives the cast every opportunity to convey their characters and attitudes. (Particularly their rendition of ‘If I Was a White Girl’).

The poignant question: “To work as an actor, is it true you have to become an activist?” sums up the scale of the issue for black female actors. Full of energy and brightness, this show involves the audience in their discourse – and being in the round, this is clearly seen. We shift between vulnerability, rage, acceptance and joy with these three gifted performers.

A thought-provoking, energetic hour!

Fiona Orr