Blake Remixed, Touring

3/5

WILLIAM BLAKE was the ultimate 18th-century rebel, whose works on social justice and racism continue to resonate today.

For acclaimed British rapper and beat boxer Testament, Blake’s words are a contemporary inspiration.

His new autobiographical show examines how the visionary poet’s work has influenced his own life and career.

Blake, he reasons, wrote about mythology and that’s exactly what hip-hop artists do with their personas — Testament himself was born plain old Andy Brooks.

His coming-of-age story is shaped by Blake’s The Four Boas, created in the poet’s mythology by the fall of Albion, who represent instinct, intellect, emotion and inspiration. They appear throughout the show to encourage the aspiring rapper and instruct him on how to find his own voice.

This has the potential to be confusing to a largely teenage audience but they’re cleverly brought to life through pre-recorded video projections by hip-hop artists Jest, Soweto Kinch, Shalom and Ty.

To make them truly integrated, the projections are manipulated and remixed live on stage by DJ Woody.

The way in which Testament interacts with the projections and the audience is warm and engaging and his description of himself as an “uncool” teen makes relating to him all the more more easy.

It also makes his subsequent determination to succeed all the more uplifting as he discovers mix tapes of the Wu-Tang Clan and Roots Manual and decides to become “the rap Cliff Richards.”

His wit ensures that this is more than just the story of a Blake-loving hip-hop artist — it’s about following your dream.

Given the show’s enthusiastic response, it’s likely that he’s motivated at least one audience member to do just that.

At the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, on November 6 and 7, box office: royalexchange.co.uk