{"id":2657,"date":"2016-10-23T23:18:41","date_gmt":"2016-10-23T23:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/imjussayin.com\/blog\/?p=2657"},"modified":"2016-10-31T17:56:14","modified_gmt":"2016-10-31T17:56:14","slug":"one-night-miami-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imjussayin.com\/blog\/one-night-miami-review\/","title":{"rendered":"One Night in Miami Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kemp Powers play One Night In Miami is on at the Donmar Theatre. Congratulations to the Donmar for hosting a play featuring four iconic black men.\u00a0 It is an engaging play, based on a historical event we know little about. It\u2019s 25 February 1964 the night that Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston.\u00a0 He is crowned the heavy weight champion of the world.\u00a0 Clay, the youngest of the four men, meets his friends Sam Cooke, Jim Brown and Malcolm X, ostensible to celebrate his victory.<\/p>\n

One Night In Miami<\/h3>\n

The scene is set in a simple hotel room at Hampton House motel <\/a>which effectively divides white America and black America. All four men are in a period of transition. Just 12 hours later Clay will declare himself a Muslin and Muhammad Ali. \u00a0Sam Cooke, King of Soul, is torn between his commercially successfully love ballads and releasing something politically aware. Jim Brown, the Cleveland Browns running back, is set to go into the movies and Malcolm X, a devoted Muslim, is on the verge of leaving The Nation of Islam.<\/p>\n

The play does not explore Malcolm X\u2019s dilemma but we see Malcolm goading Sam Cooke to use his platform to create meaningful music.\u00a0 The tension hangs in the air.\u00a0 Malcolm also tries to steer Jim Brown to a more righteous path: Islam.\u00a0 Amongst his none practising friends, understandably, Clay\u2019s (Sope Dirisu) misgivings about becoming Muslim. His insecurity about being a spokesman for black people are the most touching especially in contrast to his opening locker room banter.<\/p>\n

The dialogue is humorous as well as sharp and dramatic. \u00a0Jim Brown\u2019s character (David Ajala) is cleverly used to break the tension between Malcolm X and Sam Cooke. It also stops the play becoming mawkish. \u00a0Brown explains to Malcolm he cannot become a Muslin because of his \u201cGrandmother\u2019s pork chops\u201d. \u00a0Nonetheless, fun loving Brown shares a dark moment of racism.\u00a0 Ajala performance is convincing.<\/p>\n

The Boundaries of Race<\/h3>\n

\"one<\/a>What is clear that despite their financial success, each of these men are still trapped by the colour of their skin.\u00a0 Sam Cooke (Arinz\u00e9 Kene) finds temporary respite when performing his uncompromised version of \u201cYou Send Me\u201d.\u00a0 Throughout the play Kene gives a sterling performance anyway, but he freed my soul during that rendition. \u00a0The movies are lucrative for Jim Brown. \u00a0But as Malcolm points out, the black hero never makes it to the end. \u00a0He does find freedom, however, doing physical damage on the playing field, as Clay does in the ring.\u00a0 Malcolm, (Francois Battiste) is twice trapped: by racism and the leaders of Islam. Battiste is splendid as Malcolm X, from his minute gestures of finger pointing and twitching cheeks to his delivery and quiet anguish.<\/p>\n

One Night In Miami<\/a>\u00a0@Donmar Warehouse, to 03 December 2016<\/p>\n

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Why Malcolm X Left Nation In His Own Words<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n