Writer: Louis Rembges
Director: Ian Giles
Music: Sophie Crawford
On Railton Road, a critically-acclaimed hedonistic drama spotlighting an overlooked piece of queer history, returns this month to further delight audiences. This current presentation of the Brixton Pansies’ work, led by director Ian Giles, marks the first theatre production staged at Museum of the Home and it is a completely fitting habitat for the community-focused piece.
Informed by rare archival interviews and based on Brixton’s revolutionary past, the main through-line of the show explores the intimate lives and relationships of the pioneering queer squatters who occupied the titular street. Between these episodes of real life, an additional play-within-a-play unfolds as the company takes on delightfully camp personas in Mr. Punch’s Nuclear Family, lifted directly from the original satirical scripts of the Brixton Faeries who inspired this production.
As queer storytelling goes, On Railton Road has it all: history, heart, satire, sex, protest and liberation. Louis Rembges’ account of the Brixton squatters is beautifully grounded, demonstrating the nuanced heart and humour of those relegated to the fringes of society. The balance of the (fictionalised) real-world events unfolding against the melodrama of the puppet show is also a stroke of genius, which only strengthens as the respective narratives escalate.
This production only seems to falter slightly in its final reach for closure, as Rembges tries to wrap up the lasting impact of the evening’s events. Having maintained a consistent and engaging pace throughout, the flow of the piece becomes a little stilted as clunky time-jumps hash together a where-are-they-now type epilogue.
The ensemble cast does a fantastic job of cultivating a genuine community feel and each player in the story feels natural and distinct. As Dara, Jamal Franklin is a particular stand-out with impeccable stage presence and comic instincts which steal every moment they are onstage. Jaye Hudson feels limited in their role as Atom, yet comes into full force as the Narrator of the Punch & Judy tale as they command the space and play off the audience with ease. Aoife Smyth’s hilarious contributions to the Punch & Judy narrative alone would also be worthy of praise, yet she goes on to impress further when taking the expositional reins as Marie to drive the production home.
The Museum of the Home is not a traditional performance space and, as such, certain production elements such as lighting design are admittedly limited. However, this does not impact the quality of the overall experience and, in fact, serves as an intelligent parallel to the original Brixton Faeries’ public productions in community spaces. In terms of visual stimulation, there is much to enjoy and certain elaborate costume and prop pieces are an absolute hit with the audience.
On Railton Road is an uplifting tale of queer resilience which promises big belly laughs with its playful and ridiculous style. This touching and empowering production is a must-see and will leave any audience member with a smile on their face.
Runs until 18 November 2023
