Writer and Director: Jeremy Onwubolu Gabriel
With Sunny Side Up, the hit show of the Peckham Fringe in 2022, about to open at Soho Theatre, there’s a good chance that Time Flys, the opening show of this year’s Peckham Fringe, may follow in its footsteps. Jeremy Onwubolu Gabriel’s energetic play about three black men remembering their youth is hard to resist.
Yinka, Tony and Damon meet up in a bar in the present day, but when Tony tries to chat up the female bartender as if he’s still living in the 1990s, the three men start chatting about the old days when Yinka first arrived at their South London school.
His first day at school is a memorable one. None of the (white) teachers can pronounce his last name (Akinfenwa) and only the class boffin talks to him. Luckily, Tony and Damon take Yinka under his wing and instruct him on how to wear his uniform stylishly.
These early scenes at school and at the school disco are a joy to watch, full of comedy and, when Yinka takes on a gang leader, full of drama. All three main actors are polished, but it is Khali Best as Tony who gets the most laughs of the evening. Giving it all the big talk, Tony flirts with girls telling them he’s one of (the many) members of So Solid Crew. Few of his little white lies ever fly, but he’s a loveable rogue.
Duayne Boa is Yinka who fits in at his new school quickly, despite coming from the hinterlands of Kent. Boa plays him well, especially when it comes to crunch time with his girlfriend Joy. He has to decide whether he’s a player or in for the long haul. The confusion that Boa gives his character sets up the rest of the play’s narrative.
Of course, any show that examines black masculinity will be compared to For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, and while Time Flys lacks the sheer breadth of Ryan Calais Cameron’s knockout show, its focus on just three black men still allows Gabriel to uncover stereotypes but on a more local level. Gabriel’s young men are decent, hardworking and not afraid to cry. However, we never see them doing well at school, or, later, at university. Most of the narrative is concerned with the pursuit of girls rather than the pursuit of a career.
And if the play is to settle on a romantic arc, then it may be prudent to flesh out Joy’s character a little more if are to believe in her. Tiffany Brown tries her best, but there is little for her to work with apart from swooning over Yinka. Likewise, Damon (Afolabi Alli) comes across as a minor character, despite how much he is on stage. The only thing we learn about Damon is that he likes mobile phones. Again, his character needs more details if we are to care for his future.
Gabriel also directs and here he never misses a beat. The dance and fight scenes, to the sounds of UK Garage and Grime, are precisely choreographed and leave the audience wanting more. But these set pieces never overshadow the story and Gabriel knows exactly when to cut these sections before they turn into a party. Scene changes are slick and speedy and the hour flashes by.
Reviewed on 2 May 2024
Peckham Fringe runs until 8 June 2024
