An Unfinished Man – The Yard Theatre, London

A review of An Unfinished Man at the Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick. Dipo Baruwa-Etti’s innovative new play explores belief, tradition and mental health through the character of Kayode.

An Unfinished Man

Belief is an interesting thing. Particularly the ability of different belief systems to coexist. This is explored to great effect by Dipo Baruwa-Etti in new play An Unfinished Man, on now at The Yard, Hackney Wick. The play centres on Kayode (Fode Simbo), unemployed and struggling in East London. Why is it that he has been unemployed for seven long years? He did all the right things: did well at school, got a degree. No, two. He knows he needs help. His wife, Kikiope (Teri Ann Bobb-Baxter) believes she knows what the problem is. So does his mother, Layo (Lucy Vandi). Who is right?

What Baruwa-Etti does very well in this play is to leave room for doubt. Or personal interpretation. It could be that his mother is right, and Kayode was cursed as a newborn baby in Nigeria. Pastor Matanmi certainly seems to think so. Or is Kikiope right, and Kayode is depressed? More importantly, who is Itan (Selina Jones), the mysterious figure only seen by Kayode? Is she the personification of the curse? Or a positive force? Or not really either?

As Pastor Matanmi and Layo undertake a sort of exorcism of ‘authority prayer’ to break the curse, we see that things are not clear cut. The spiritual warfare visibly impacts Itan. And Kayode. But is it enough to cure him, break the curse? Or does he need to see a doctor as his wife suggests? Baruwa-Etti encourages us to get comfortable with ambiguity and to accept that there are things in the world that we don’t have answers for.

A While In The Making

Baruwa-Etti had longer than anticipated to live with these characters and work on his play, originally commissioned by The Yard in 2018 and delayed due to the pandemic. A zine handed out to attendees describes some of the rewrites he undertook, including one which would have included a Dolly Parton number. I can’t help but wonder what that would have looked like!

But there is no doubt the finished product has been polished with time. The language is poetic:

"He was talkin bout breakin chains. / Breakin cycles. / Breakin captivity. / Freedom from tyranny. / The enemy. / Thass what I need. / Thass the remedy." (An Unfinished Man published by Faber and Faber, 2022)

The lines flow as smoothly as the movement, which is beautifully directed by Robia Milliner with fight direction by Yarit Dor. And what is most striking about this debut production is the interpretation of the stage direction “throughout Kayode stands in an ocean with everyone else on the shore”. Rosie Elnile’s ocean is like a baptismal pool, but Kayode is no less alone and adrift for its diminutive size. It’s a powerful visual metaphor for how poor mental health (or a curse, if that’s your preference) can make you feel isolated and unable to reach a safe haven.

Final Thoughts

An Unfinished Man is a punchy play, feeling bigger and more profound than its one hour run time. It addresses big questions, including faith, health, and the experience of first generation immigrants aligning history with lived experience. The performances are strong throughout, particularly Selina Jones as the mysterious and imposing Itan and Lucy Vandi as conflicted mother Layo. I have only mentioned the ‘ocean’ so far in terms of the set, but the rest of Rosie Elnile’s design is simple yet highly effective – flower arrangements evoking churches while large speakers allude to subdued power. Taio Lawson as Director brings all of these elements together into a memorable whole.

The Yard is a very cool small theatre in East London, so I would recommend a visit even if the current offering was not as strong as it is. But I certainly recommend a visit while An Unfinished Man is on. It’s creative and fresh, and will stick in my mind for a good while to come.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4/5

An Unfinished Man on until 12 March 2022