REVIEW: Allegiance on the Charing Cross Theatre

There are important moments in historical past that aren’t taught in faculties or usually identified within the public area, one way or the other, they’ve been conveniently erased. Worldwide display and stage icon George Takei is set that his household’s story isn’t forgotten, a narrative that occurred to over 120,000 individuals dwelling in America who have been of Japanese origin. Thanks to Mr. Takei, their story is being instructed within the type of a musical that has arrived within the West End for the New Year. After a triumphant world premiere in San Diego, a run on Broadway and numerous worldwide productions, it lastly lands in London’s Charing Cross Theatre. As a self-confirmed Anglophile, George proclaims within the present’s programme that acting on a London stage has been a lifelong ambition that he ultimately will get to reside out.

Upon arrival into the auditorium the faint sound of a stereo performs within the background and the stark stage provides a number of clues to the ominous nature of the upcoming motion. To the facet of the stage are a number of wood poles topped with strips of barbed wire. The theatre has members of the viewers on each side of the stage giving the sensation of being within the spherical, this helps to reinforce the general expertise. 

The musical begins in what seems to be the current day, with Takai enjoying the older model of the central character, Sam Kimura. We discover that Sam is trying again on his life after an abrupt reminder of his previous arrives at his door. A younger woman seems to inform him that his sister has died, a sister he has not seen for 50 years. This revelation causes Sam to reminisce in regards to the previous and lets the viewers uncover what led to this second.

The motion transports us again to 1940’s California as we meet a neighborhood of each Japanese immigrants and American born residents of Japanese heritage. Everyday life is going on by means of meals, work, family and friends. Telly Leung takes over the centre motion because the younger bold Sammy Kimura who’s stressed for pleasure. He lives along with his father Tatsuo, Masashi Fujimoto and sister Kei, Aynrand Ferrer, a job that was performed on Broadway by musical theatre icon Lea Solonga. Takei then adopts his second position within the musical as he portrays Sam’s sensible and charming Grandfather Ojii-Chan. Throughout the story Ojii-Chan presents sensible phrases of positivity regardless of all odds. 

Even although the residents have adopted life in America their Japanese roots and traditions are upheld, that is demonstrated within the ensemble quantity, “Wishes on the Wind”. On a sure day of the 12 months needs are written on a paper tag and held on a tree (The beforehand talked about barbed wire poles) The poles function a foreboding message of what the longer term holds. The lives of all of the characters are about to alter drastically. 

The viewers then learns the surprising web page of historical past that occurred after the occasions of Pearl Harbour. As a consequence of this dramatic occasion all residents of Japanese descent, together with American residents have been in a single day thought of to be enemies and categorised as “aliens”. Without warning all rights have been taken away as households have been pressured to be imprisoned in navy space camps over a number of states. 

The harshness of life in these camps is portrayed chillingly as harmless American residents have been taken away in opposition to their will and handled with none respect or dignity. Forced to make use of communal bathrooms and alter in entrance of one another, to share bedrooms and flea ridden beds. To make issues worse the mud from the native mountains prompted extreme air air pollution including to the inhumane circumstances. The music “Gaman”, initiated by Ojii-Chan reinforces the motto of the musical, “We will get through this”, a message of holding on to the sunshine within the darkest of instances. Ojii-Chan proves that even when issues appear not possible there may be all the time hope. Despite doubt from everybody he manages to make a backyard patch in unlikely circumstances. 

Representing employees within the camp, Megan Gardiner performs the sympathetic nurse Hannah Campbell who falls in love with Sammy. Mark Anderson performs, amongst numerous different roles, the menacing Private Knight who shows with menace the way in which the unwilling residents have been seemed down on. 

A particular point out to the choreography from the director Tara Overfield Wilkinson. For a comparatively small area the entire solid dance by means of the numbers with nice ardour including layers to the efficiency. At instances it may be tough to sing and dance after portraying upsetting moments however this was dealt with effectively and with the correct amount of sensitivity. 

The general appeal comes from the effortlessly lovable George Takei who brings a lot soul to the story. Knowing that he’s made it his mission for this brushed over a part of historical past to not be forgotten and for the people who skilled it together with his circle of relatives to be remembered makes the efficiency additional particular. Noticeably there weren’t many dry eyes in the home because the motion got here to its conclusion. As George Takei got here out for his bow I couldn’t assist however rise to my ft and the heat in direction of him from the viewers was so clear. As he says within the programme, he needs tales like this to be a reminder for historical past to not repeat itself. He additionally needs the story to work as a message that on the worst of instances human spirit can overcome excessive adversity. 

Review by Myles Ryan 

Rating: ★★★★

Seat: Stalls L7 | Price of Ticket: £68