Wolves on Road focuses on Manny (Kieran Taylor Ford) a 21-year-old hustler trying to make it out of Bow 'the ends'. He lives with his Ethiopian mum Fevan (Alma Eno) who dreams of opening her own restaurant. His white dad isn't present in his life, making him the man of the house. The play opens with Manny selling knock of designer goods and being duped into thinking they are real. This softly foreshadows the rest of the show. We see Manny's grind from the get go.
Speaking of grind, we are soon introduced to his best friend Abdul (Hassan Najib) who is succeeding in crypto. Despite some initial reservations Manny ends up investing £500. Overnight his investment has shot up to 5k and the boys are quickly swept up as sales associates by Devlin. Devlin is a leading agent for DGX, a new shiny digital currency exchange.
Mum Fevan has met a love interest in Markos (played joyously by Ery Nzaramba). He is a wounded character whose son Dawit is trapped in conflict in Africa. Markos represents an older generation desperate to feel some ownership and success. Despite having big differences and fierce disagreements with Manny, Markos also falls into the crypto game.
Delvin from DGX is a typical shark that targets vulnerable communities with big promises. However his opening speech in act two almost made me want to sign up myself. He cunningly takes his audiences' disadvantages and transforms them into reasons why we need something of our own to invest in. There is something hypnotising about his character (played effortlessly by Jamael Westman). We know it's a gamble but Devlin sells it as a sure thing. The ties DGX makes from financial disparities for African communities to age old colonialism further cement the want for reparation. It paints an initial motivation of ‘doing good’ but ultimately breeds greed and corruption. I did question if this short appearance could be expanded but his swift disappearance after hooking us in makes perfect sense.
Beru Tessema has written a play that sits in the feeling of broken promises rather than the rise and fall of cryptocurrency. We watch the addiction of DGX throw fractures into personal relationships. We also see the consequences of men like Delvin taking advantage of dreamers. The fallout is far more interesting than Tessema's opinion on whether crypto is a good investment or not.
Daniel Bailey has the audience as invested as the characters are in their success. Taylor-Ford and Najib have a bubbling energy that pulls you in and keeps the play moving. Ery Nzaramba really shines in this production. Markos is that uncle we are all familiar with, making the collective misfortune that bit more painful to watch. Amelia Jane Hankin’s set is glossy and the addition of cameras feels right for the world of the play.
The ending feels like how these 'opportunities’ usually go. There isn't any kind of justice for the lost hopes people had of escaping their reality.
Review: Nicole Botha Photo: Helen Murray