Nostalgic, heartwarming, thought-provoking and comical. Those are the key words that come to mind after watching RUSH: A Joyous Jamaican Journey at The Rep theatre last night.
One of the main narrators for the performance was Ken Dread, who took the audience along with his cast members on the Empire Windrush as we journeyed to the UK in 1948.
It was so well thought out, with the audience all given Windrush-inspired boarding passes on arrival, which perfectly helped to set the scene.
As a grandchild of Windrush descent, the show took me back to being a little girl sitting in my grandparent’s front room eating a Pattie, washed down with a cold can of ginger beer, and listening to their stories of life in the UK when they arrived from the Caribbean.
The show was highly informative, comical and heartwarming. It was also highly nostalgic, with so many stories told creatively and in such an artistic form the audience remained hooked throughout. I ended up feeling extremely sad when it finished.
Never in my life have I attended a theatre performance where people stood up dancing to reggae, lovers rock, soca and ska whilst swaying their phone torches to the rhythm of Caribbean beats. It was pure bliss, and if I closed my eyes tight enough, I honestly would believe I was sitting on a beach in the Caribbean.
While the show was all laughs and dancing, the performers very sensitively educated the audience on some of the key challenges the migrants experienced on arrival in the UK.
When the show finished, the crowd celebrated as they applauded the incredible show. To finish things off, the cast members made a conscious effort to individually greet audience members and take pictures with them. They were so humble.
I enjoyed it so much that I hope to see it again before its closing night this Saturday. Tickets are available here.
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