Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre, Saturday 21st August 2010. The Blind Boys Of Alabama, The Legendary Soul Stirrers, The Steeles in retelling of Greek tragedy reviewed by Tom Lennie
Take an ancient Greek tragedy -
Oedipus At Colonus, the mythical story of the king of Thebes first
performed in Athens in 401 BC - and give it such a radical makeover as
to transform it into a modern Pentecostal gospel scenario. That is the
essence of The Gospel At Colonus. This revisionary theatrical
production was created back in 1983 by director Lee Breur and composer
Bob Telson, since which time it's been performed all over the world -
to vastly divergent responses - and not least in Athens itself, some
years ago.
The original story sees Oedipus fulfilling a
prophecy that said he would kill his father and marry his mother, and
thus bring disaster on his city and family. Following incestuous
relations with his new wife, he finds that his daughters are also his
very sisters. Later discovering that his wife has killed herself,
Oedipus takes two pins from her dress and gouges his eyes out. He
wanders blindly through the country, ultimately dying at Colonus. Tale
of horror, pain and darkness this most surely is, yet while the basic
storyline is apparent in the modern rewrite, the new plot takes on a
Christian redemptive theme which turns tragedy into a theme of hope
and life. For classical purists this will seem disrespectful to the
original (one reviewer used the term "blasphemous"), but to any lover
of gospel music, and especially to anyone with a personal experience
of Christian redemption, it's heartwarming and life-giving.
The illustrious cast consists of four longstanding American
gospel groups - The Blind Boys Of Alabama, The Legendary Soul Stirrers
(which groups date back to the 1920s and '30s respectively!), The
Steeles and the 20-strong The Inspirational Voices Of The Abyssinian
Baptist Church from New York, along with various solo performers.
Together, they make a welcoming and colourful set, the Steeles being
draped in elegant blue suits, the Blind Boys in silver attire, and the
Abyssinian choir in an elaborate array of traditional African dress.
To guys like the Blind Boys, especially, the association with The
Gospel At Colonus is a long and influential one, dating back to the
'80s, and adding depth and dimension to their legacy, while also
helping popularise black gospel to audiences worldwide.
The Edinburgh show was part of the city's International Festival,
the most spectacular and multicultural of the Scottish capital's world
renowned summer Festivals, tickets for which were priced at up to
£30. Yet, on the second of their five performances over one weekend,
the 3,000 seat Playhouse Theatre was virtually jam-packed, with a
largely middle-aged audience eager to witness this two-and-a-half hour
extravaganza. The amphitheatre backdrop was sturdy and sufficient; the
acting roles were demonstrative and well-rehearsed (not least that of
the Messenger/Preacher, played magnificently by the Rev Dr Earl F
Miller), and the combination of focused lighting and dazzling costume
hues made for an appealing spectacle. But it was the music that made
the show great. Backed merely by an organ, guitar, drums and a grand
white piano, on which various of the Blind Boys tinkered), from the
opening happy-go-lucky "Live Where You Can", with its swaying,
melodious tones, to the slow funk of "How Shall I See You Through My
Tears", to the a cappella doo-wop of "Come Back Home" and beyond,
swathes of delightful gospel sounds poured forth from the sonically
adept gospel teams placed across the tiered stage.
Various soloists proved worthy of a
name-call - Jevetta Steele (female soloist in The Steeles), Bernadette
Mitchell, Jay Caldwell (of The Gospel Ambassadors) and Caorlyn
Johnson-White, each of whom delighted hearers with their gifted vocal
tones. Also playing a prominent part was Jimmy Carter, lead singer of
the Blind Boys of Alabama. Now well into his 70s, Carter both looked
and sounded weak. I wonder if playing the leading role of Oedipus was
really too much for him - his tottering around the multi-stepped stage
looked less than safe, and although his performance was praiseworthy,
and at times deliberately amusing, his singing voice was often tired
and gravelly compared with that of his team mates, who were in fine
united form.
The storyline was straightforward enough to
follow, and the throwing in of numerous authentically humourous
moments helped lighten up proceedings at various unexpected points. A
good pace was kept up throughout, the constantly-changing line-up
allowing for not a moment's lapse of concentration. After a 20-minute
interval the second Act opened with some fine bluesy material, in
"Lift Me Up" and "Stand By Me". Half-way through this set the mood
shifted suddenly and triumphantly from emotive songs of grief and
lamentation on Oedipus's death, to the heights of unadulterated praise
on "Lift Him Up Higher" and "Crying Hallelujah". There had been a
wonderful eruption of holy joy in Act 1, which encouraged a degree of
hand-clapping and feet stomping from the generally reserved Edinburgh
audience. But in these closing scenes, accompanying the resurrection
of Oedipus (a theme alien to the original story), the cast went wild
in abandoned celebration (as exemplified in the gyrating leaps and
twists of the acrobatic choir leader), and before you knew it, almost
3,000 people were on their feet and joining in - many literally
dancing in the aisles. It was a wonderful moment of spontaneity, which
seemed to startle even the main players, who after a brief pause
jumped right in with an encore! I left the theatre feeling thrilled
and thoroughly entertained, well aware I had witnessed a truly unique
performance that would stay with me for a long time.