The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano is available via online via the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Player.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

This is staged as a radio play being created in a deliciously eclectic space: in front of bare brick walls, levels are constructed in scaffolding; a broadcast desk is set up behind a row of microphones on stands decorated with scarves and a clutter of materials and posters relating to political protest is strewn around the performance space.

The time is Christmas 1969 and this show-within-a-show tells the story of how far the Puerto Rican people have come in their quest for equality and justice in New York. The story is based on a novel for young adults by Sonia Manzano and walks that fine tightrope between imparting historical fact whilst still being entertaining and engaging for its audience.  n adapting the novel for performance, Tlaloc Rivas (who also directs) makes wise choices that keep the narrative fresh and lively.

The songs are terrific – Sartje Pickett has created a rich variety of music that develops both character and plot allowing breathing space in what might otherwise be a rather dense package for audiences to relate to. The songs are beautifully sung – strong, clear vocals are layered in close harmony in distinctive Puerto Rican rhythms.

Our heroine, Evelyn, chooses to rename herself to be distinct from all the Rosas and Marias in her community, deciding on her ‘third name’ even though she’s undecided on how to pronounce it! As she stands on the brink of adulthood, through Evelyn’s eyes we learn about the social unrest in New York with the Black Panthers and Stonewall all rising to flashpoint at this time.

Through her church, she meets a group known as ‘The Young Lords’, distinctive in their purple berets. This group is coordinating welfare for the Puerto Rican New Yorkers who have been neglected by the state. The church becomes a centre for distributing food, warm clothing and primary medical care.

Evelyn becomes involved in this movement, her passion ignited to stand up for basic rights. Carolina Campos is a delight as Evelyn. Her performance is almost shining as her Evelyn encompasses all it means to be a young, idealistic and smart young woman.

One ‘quibble’ with the casting is that each actor plays a number of roles, but it wasn’t clear when a character had changed.  Perhaps a tighter adaptation where some characters are amalgamated would streamline the narrative.

The occupation of the church by The Young Lords lasted until 8 January 1970 and it is implied that in those few weeks the seeds were sown for Puerto Ricans to make a difference in society, paving the way for some to become doctors, teachers, artists and even to hold office.

An interesting lesser-known strand of American history, well told with gorgeous music. İPalante Siempre Palante!

Fiona Orr