Nine Lives
Touring
5/5

IF YOU think you need more than one actor and one suitcase to put on a play which journeys from Zimbabwe to Britain, with the action shifting between parks, clubs, streets and homes, you’d be wrong.

Dealing with issues of asylum and homophobia, Nine Lives by Zodwa Nyoni stands up as a great piece of theatre as it follows the journey of Lladel Bryant as gay Zimbabwean asylum-seeker Ishmael.

Bryant also plays a range of other characters — a single white Leeds mum, her cute son who likes fire engines, a dodgy landlord and a ruthless home office “removals” team, to name just a few.

Under Alex Chisholm’s direction for the Leeds Studio company, Bryant’s empathy and passion fill the bare stage, making every character come alive and every scene real.

While the focus is on the asylum process and homophobia, the play explores universal issues of isolation, identity, belonging, dignity and friendship.

It shows that Ishmael is not just an asylum-seeker or gay man — he’s a person, just like everyone else.

His simple wish among the chaos of his situation is to be allowed to be himself and to make friends when friendship is offered.

While the play never shies away from grim realities those friendships, drawn from shared experiences, offer hope — most obviously with a dancer in a gay nightclub. But the bond Ishmael forges with single mum Becs is even stronger.

She also wants to break free of stereotype, escape isolation and, most of all, just wants to have a safe home to which she can invite a friend for a chat and a cup of tea.

Doubtless Nine Lives will get a very positive response on tour but perhaps the one Leeds Studio will be most pleased with was delivered by an audience member after the show who has lived through the asylum system: “That was my story.

That was exactly my story,” he said.

Tours nationally until December, details: leedsstudio.org. The play’s script is available from Methuen Drama, price £8.99.

Review by Phil Broadhurst