Big-hearted – 24 (Day) [Ian Hippolyte]

ANNIE Jenkins’ joyous 24 (Day), the first in a trilogy of plays bringing together local artists, performers and professional creatives, explores what it means to live, work, love and grieve in Islington. It enjoyed a three-day run at the Almeida last week.

Jack Nurse’s ambitious production features two trained actors and a sizable community ensemble – many are the returning cast from The Key Workers Cycle, several are from All Change, who performed The Social Care Workers’ Play last year, and lots of enthusiastic amateurs are involved for the first time.

The play takes place over the course of 24 hours and focuses on Liz (Jean Wollard), whose husband Eddie has been placed in a care home. Her best friend Jackie has recently died, and she is awaiting the results of a cancer scan.

It’s April 21, 2023, Arsenal are playing Southampton at the Emirates Stadium and we follow Liz as she attempts to visit Eddie, reconnects with her grandson Mark (Kwami Odoom), who has troubles of his own, and attends her friend’s funeral.

We watch Eddie participate in a therapeutic music group, where members recall their favourite songs. The brilliantly named Tempo Tantrum choir give a spirited turn at Jackie’s wake and Arsenal fans provide boisterous crowd scenes.

Act II culminates in a raucous night at Rowan’s Bowling Alley. Here we’re given a poignant flashback to Liz and Eddie’s first meeting as teenagers.

24 (DAY) explores serious subjects with a light touch and confronts clichés about aging head on, but Jenkins’ narrative could have been slicker. It feels as though she has tried to weave too many stories into the mix. Some scenes feel tacked on, others would have benefited from being shorter and several threads are left hanging.

Nevertheless, there are moments of real joy and pathos in this big-hearted community production that linger in the mind long after the final curtain call.

run ended
almeida.co.uk/