When I heard that The Color Purple was going to be part of Sedos’ season I was excited for so many reasons. Firstly this is a show that I had heard so much about but never had the chance to see. Additionally this is a show that requires an all black cast, something that is incredibly rare in amateur theatre and I was excited for Sedos to show that it was possible to put on a show like The Color Purple if the work is done. Sedos mounted this show with an all black production team and the show sold out weeks before opening night.

Before I talk about the show itself I can’t overstate the importance of this show choice and how lessons from this could filter out to other amateur theatre companies. Amateur theatre has long been dominated by white performers and many societies simply stating that of course black performers are welcome but doing very little to show this. By performing the Color Purple Sedos clearly showed that black stories are part of their ethos and the speed that it sold clearly has demonstrated that this is also something that the audiences have been calling out for as much as performers.

Now onto the show itself. The Color Purple musical is based on a novel by Alice Walker and the subsequent film of the same name. It tells of Celie a black girl who is separated from her sister and married off by her Pa to Mister, a husband who beats her. Over the years Celie finds solace and strength in the arms of singer Shug Avery. The story is one which looks at family, friendship and love.

Sedos under the direction of Tasha Msanide really understood the heart of this piece and as such were brilliantly successful at taking the audience along for the emotional ride with the cast and managing to ensure that there was barely a dry eye in the house by the end of the show. Msanide knew when to linger on the heavier moments but wasn’t afraid to put in lighter moments of humour to help balance the piece out. The pace was kept swift but not rushed in what was a very well considered piece of theatre.

The cast were brilliant with their leading lady, Afope Rachelle Ojomo producing a jaw dropping performance as Celie. Celie’s character arch within the show is huge but Ojomo took it in her stride and had me believing every single word that she uttered. Her performance of ‘I’m Here,’ was so beautiful that it had me wondering if the audience were ever going to stop the applause. However for a show to be successful it requires strength across the board in the performances and this was presence in abundance. Michaella Moore as Shug Avery had a warmth about her performance that made it easy to see why everyone fell for her and Rinre Olusola as Sofia had so much gumption in her performance she made me want to cheer after the delivery of some of her lines. Dupri McKoy was also a delight as Harpo who appeared in stark contrast to many of the male characters around him and despite not always doing the right thing appeared to be on a different path to his male elders and depicted this conflict this caused well. Finally Marnette Renae Bennett, LaShayah Alize Byfield and Zahra Jennings-Grant as the 3 gossips of the town threatened to bring the house down with their comedy timing, disapproving looks and eye rolls. Every time that they sauntered onto stage I knew that we were in for a good time.

One highlight of the show was the sound that the cast made when signing together, under the musical direction of Chris Forte Nelson. Numbers such as The Colour Purple (Reprise), Mysterious Ways and African Homeland were rich both in harmonies and dynamics and it was clear that the entire company of 25 were talented singers.

The set was perfectly considered, made to look like it was made from wood from the entirety of the floor through to barn like walls. It also meant that it was flexible enough to keep action moving throughout the show and combined with a clever lighting design by Ruth Luckins avoided any long scene changes and instead we stayed invested in the action.

Sedos and the team behind The Color Purple have a huge amount of be proud of with this show, not only for being a society to put black stories front and centre but for doing so with such success, from the tickets sales through to the talent on stage and the creative team vision. The Color Purple is a stunning production and the fact that it focuses on under represented voices in amateur theatre is the cherry on top of the cake.

The Color Purple is on at the Bridewell Theatre until 30th November. You can find out more about Sedos and their upcoming shows on their website.

If you like this review you might also like my reviews of Just So, Richard III and Sunday in the Park With George all by Sedos.