Writer: Keisha Thompson
Director: Nathan Powell
A ‘sock pairing game’ isn’t what you expect to find at a ‘train station’ or indeed a theatre, still, alongside a game of ‘match the flag to the country’, it goes down a treat, as people fight to see who can match the most in a minute. There is a point to all this, the games highlighting the intersection between mundanity and identity.
After being split into two groups based on our ‘train tickets’ we wait and prepare to board the 8:15 train to Manchester Piccadilly whilst our peers board an earlier train. It is clear this will be a journey with a difference!
In a world where national identity is a topic of constant debate, ‘14%’ promises a journey that dissects what it means to be British.
Set against the backdrop of the Lionesses’ success, The play introduces us to footballer Nadia, portrayed by Lauren Fitzpatrick (Eastenders). As a mixed-race woman, Nadia’s experiences are a microcosm of larger society’s debates on British identity. Now expecting, she is grappling with her own sense of identity and that of her child.
Whilst the play is ostensibly a one-woman show, the production is multi-sensory, utilising recordings to bring in an ensemble of voice actors, including Isah-Levi Roach as the voice of Nadia’s unborn child.
The play opens with a post-match interview, but it becomes clear through her dialogue with the Football Interviewer (Frankie Lipman) that Nadia’s mind is on the results of a recent DNA test, through which Nadia hopes to affirm her own fractured sense of Britishness and carve out a solid identity for her child.
There is a smack of internalised racism in Nadia’s dialogue with her child, as she chides him for not speaking English at the notion that the unborn foetus can understand other languages and asserts that she doesn’t want him to be too brown, explaining she wants someone ‘the same colour as me’.
The action unfolds inside a post-match train carriage, creating a sense of confinement that mirrors Nadia’s’ identity struggles. The set is minimalistic yet evocative. Director Nathan Powell successfully immerses the audience in the confined space of the train, with soft shapes that give the impression of train seats hanging from the ceiling.
The addition of a gang of ‘football hooligans’ to the mix with the voices of Kenton Craig as Old Tony, Dean Gregory as Nik and Harvey Weedon as Jacob completes the setup, emphasising the tension and interplay of identities.
The use of a soundscape combining the train noise with snippets from pop-culture, mirrors the myriad of voices and opinions in contemporary Britain and captures the emotional complexities Nadia faces as she struggles with the assertion of her DNA results that she is only ‘14% English’.
As we are lead to a second room to catch our train, through a recording we experience the same events from the football fans’ perspective, their voices creating a cacophony of viewpoints. The audience is brought intimately close to the clashing beliefs, making it impossible to escape the debate.
Keisha Thompson writes well- her language reflecting the inner turmoil of the characters and each character is well-rounded, offering a unique perspective on Britishness. Their interactions reflect the diversity of attitudes that makes up the British identity and challenge our own preconceptions.
There is however, a large percentage of repetition, which combined with a lack of seating in the supposed train makes for a much less engaging half an hour!
‘14%’ is a purposefully claustrophobic snapshot of the conflicting beliefs and commonalities that make up the identity of Britain. The plot, while compact, weaves a rich tapestry of experiences. However, while a compelling story, it seems unclear what exactly it hopes to achieve by being told and what it adds to current discourse.
Nevertheless, it is impeccably performed, well-staged and certainly challenges preconceived notions of what it means to be British, providing an opportunity for us to lean in and eavesdrop on the voices that make up our national identity. ‘14%’ is a poignant reminder that the journey to understanding identity is a complex and ongoing process.
Runs until Sat 28 October 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
reflective
