PERCHED on the edge of my seat in the intimate new-look Ustinov I felt like a fly on the wall of a heated discussion between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his white psychiatrist.
The refurbished theatre was the perfect venue for this powerful and emotive play, which tells the story of a paranoid President who believes he is haunted by an ngozi - the angry spirit of a former comrade - and seeks advice from Dr Peric.
The play manages to interweave political background and explanation into the narrative, without an overload of information, and its tight-knit and convincing cast do a sterling job of bringing their characters to life.
Joseph Marcell was outstanding as Mugabe, with every gesture having a purpose as he expertly walked the fine line between control and madness. An established theatre actor, Marcell was best known to me as Geoffrey in the TV programme The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, but as soon as he marched onto the stage, he became Mugabe.
Andi Osho's cutting and acerbic Grace Mugabe looked stunning in fantastic costumes that allowed her to combine a confident tone with a palatable nervousness, as she teetered on her heels and on the edge of all-consuming fear.
Osho's graceful yet considered mannerisms built up the complex character, who also provided many of the wry and dark comic moments; most notably a conversation between herself and Mugabe's bodyguard Gabriel as she tries to bribe him in their Shona language. The only word the audience recognises is Mercedes' to which Gabriel shoots back Coupe'. The bored yet menacing Gabriel was played with a convincing accent and attitude by well-known TV actor and ex-EastEnder Nicholas Bailey.
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Miles Anderson is the psychiatrist and tobacco farmer who attempts to unravel the mystery of Robert' the man, but ultimately becomes too bound up in Mugabe the President. Anderson's subtle accent, liberal ways and white skin mark him out as a target for Mugabe's rage and his attempts at psychoanalysing the President end in him losing more than his role as the President's confidante.
From the bustling beginning to the haunting final scene, this superbly acted and well-written play is the perfect start for the Ustinov. The claustrophobic and personal nature of events that unfold would not have worked in a larger theatre and the audience would not have been aware that everyone else had been holding their breath throughout as well.
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