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Famished Road
‘The Famished Road is ebulliently executed.. this production is a rich, multicoloured tapestry, possessing an otherworldly feel.. The child protagonist, Ntuli is a genius. He played his role so naturally, with a charming, wide-eyed innocence.. The play’s triumph is in its recreation of the spirit realm. Using animist sounds, puppets, surreal lighting and, most importantly, a forceful imagination, the actors create a voodoo ambience that reciprocates Okri’s vivid imagination. The Famished Road is a fantastic production’
‘Ben Okri’s The Famished Road, now captured on stage by Helen Iskander, blends the twin dimensions with poise and beauty. Iskander set herself a mammoth task of translating the essence of the epic novel into a play, but she has accomplished it superbly. Under her finely-attuned eye for fantasy transplanted into, and coexisting with, the real world, Okri’s magical-realist fable is respectfully handled and remains a cogent affirmation of life and hope.. Thanks to Lisa Younger’s styling and puppetry, this subtropical dreamworld evokes The Dark Crystal meets Alice in Wonderland in Africa.. The Famished Road could have been unstageable, but Fresco Theatre has given birth to a child that effectively conjures a phantasmagorical aesthetic, while passing subtle critiques on African social and political realities. It is exquisitely realised and is likely to touch you to the core.. This work steeped in mythology and miracles can truly – and literally – be dubbed a triumph of the human spirit.’
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