Wonder Boy
Derby Theatre, Thursday 24th October 2024
As a regular theatregoer I feel uncomfortable admitting that when booking seats, I tend to avoid captioned performances. Having the good fortune to experience no significant obstacles to my communication, I have assumed that scrolling text on a screen would create unwelcome distraction and take something away from my enjoyment of a production. These barely conscious presumptions have been turned on their head however having experienced the phenomenon that is Wonder Boy at Derby Theatre this week. For this production uses bold captions unashamedly and with tremendous effect, adding another dimension to characterisation and bringing to life the experience of being unable to speak one’s mind and to be truly heard.
Sonny (Samir Mahat) is a 12-year-old boy who has developed a stammer following childhood trauma. He navigates his way through life with the help of his imaginary companion Captain Chatter (Ciaran O’Breen), a kind of superhero inner voice that materialises at certain times as protector and others as saboteur of Sonny’s progress. Having hurt a fellow school pupil with a misplaced fork, Sonny finds himself alongside the loud-mouthed, hair-pulling Roshi (Naia Elliott-Spence) in front of their teacher Wainwright (Eva Scott) as they await their punishment. Wainwright is set on giving her two ‘psychopaths’ a second chance however that leads to them being cast in the school production of Hamlet. Whilst Roshi delights in taking on the title role, Sonny’s casting and handful of lines present for him his worst nightmare. Wainwright takes it upon herself to support Sonny in navigating Shakespeare’s daunting text whilst simultaneously helping him come to terms with the loss of his mum which appears to be at the heart of his struggle. A quintet of actors is completed with Jessica Murrain as Sonny’s Mum and Wainwright’s target-driven nemesis, Miss Fish.
A simple set provides a dynamic backdrop to the action where movement, light and sound are used with stunning effect. As Captain Chatter, O’Breen’s physicality is magnificent, his gangly frame capturing pre-teen awkwardness and anxiety perfectly. His face and body express the pleasure and pain of Sonny’s inner world in a way that words could not adequately convey.
Murrain skillfully creates two very distinct roles as a loving, troubled Mum and the neurotic and slightly unhinged Miss Fish. In contrast, Scott’s plain-speaking Wainwright warms the heart as she strives to truly understand and meet the needs of children like Sonny. A battle of words between Fish and Wainwright over opposing views about what it means to be a good teacher is both hilarious and a deeply disturbing reminder of the obstacles and red-tape experienced by teachers everywhere who just want to teach.
As Sonny fights to communicate his inner experience, Elliott-Spence’s Roshi has plenty to say but struggles to be heard. Her rapid-fire, teen speak synopsis of Hamlet as a ‘shit version of The Lion King’ is one of the production’s comic highlights. In an exceptionally strong cast, Mahat’s portrayal of Sonny however is simply spellbinding. The precision and sensitivity with which he represents the boy’s turmoil and triumph over his affliction is heartbreaking and a delight to witness. Film, television and theatre have portrayed stammerers for decades as objects of ridicule yet here Mahat lays bare the sheer anguish of being held back by a body that is unable to give voice to one’s passions, hopes and dreams.
Writer Ross Willis and the whole team behind Wonder Boy under the direction of Sally Cookson have created a thing of power and beauty like nothing I have ever experienced before. A special mention must go to the team at Derby Theatre who help make a visit to this production so wonderfully inclusive and accessible. Seeing box office staff on my arrival switching between speaking and signing with audience members was a humbling experience that set the tone for the extraordinary event that was about to unfold on stage.
