Speed - Bush Theatre

Driven by anger

Photography - Richard Lakos

★★★★☆

Like with all visits to the Bush Theatre, there is never any doubt in the quality of theatre you are going about to be presented with and Mohamed-Zain Dada’s latest offering adds to the ever-growing tally of hits to be produced within the building. 

Set in a nondescript hotel basement, three reckless drivers have been offered a chance to keep their licences in exchange for positive engagement with a rehabilitation course helmed by facilitator Abz. Each brings their own approach to the course with varying levels of awareness and enthusiasm and it is clear this is going to be an uphill battle. As motivations are discussed, reasonings unravel and the limitations of the rulebook become stark and obvious. How far can Abz go to get these drivers to understand the significance of road safety? 

Dada’s play is unquestionably a brilliant dark comedy as it strikes a fine balance between laugh-out-loud humour and moments of unflinching and hard-hitting truth. The light and shade created jolts us through the piece, surprising us during the various twists and turns. It is brilliantly grounded but builds on its relatableness to take the story to exaggerated places with wicked effect, unafraid to approach uncomfortable topics around racial stereotypes and grief. 

Charged with leading the session, Abz, portrayed expertly by Nikesh Patel, is well up to the task. He is organised and brilliantly drilled in his facilitation tools and techniques though the participants in front of him are proving to be a challenge. Patel is fantastic in the role, slowly transitioning from uptight but well-meaning into a desperate individual attempting to cling on and see the day through. The descent is steady but deliberate, interspersed with intensely rapid sound and lighting design elements as he is haunted by past experiences - his trauma leaking outwards. Patel is in his element here and his performance working in tandem with Milli Bhatia’s direction is exhilarating. 

The rest of the cast perform as the participants. Harleen (Sabrina Sandhu), a nurse taking on any shift she can to pay the bills and support her family, Samir (Arian Nik), a young delivery driver whose pride and joy is his motor and Faiza (Shazia Nicholls) an entrepreneur, desperate to be back on her phone to keep in touch with her business. All three do excellent jobs in bringing their characters’ perspectives and experiences into the narrative whilst simultaneously being comedically brilliant as they deliver Dada’s words. 

Sound designer XANA and lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun’s work truly ties this play together. Lurching between the mundane world of a driving rehabilitation course and the wildly intense moments of emotion the pair bring us on that journey and brilliantly aid the storytelling happening before us. Tomás Palmer’s set design equally is playful and clever within the limitations of a true-to-life room. 

Without revealing the surprising ways in which this play progresses, Mohamed-Zain Dada truly pushes the limits of his conceived scenario to break point, and there is scope for minor improvements but there is no doubt that the piece morphs into a true thriller of a play that unravels through its ninety-minute runtime. Sign me up to see what this talented writer does next and in the meantime I look forward to being back at the Bush Theatre to see what marvel they are going to produce next. 

Running until 17th May - Tickets

Photography - Richard Lakos