The 14th Tale

From its premise alone, The 14th Tale may seem like a tired fish-out-of-water story, relating the experiences of performance poet Inua Ellams, a Nigerian expatriate who spent many of his formative years in London and Ireland – the only black child at his Dublin school. While this synopsis may imply that the show is platitudinous, dangerously close to a Lenny Henry routine, Ellams tackles his subjects with such verve and intensity that his one-man play sounds very much like the definitive take on the issues he addresses.

New life is breathed into discussions of cultural identity, masculinity and mortality, largely by virtue of the narrator's boundless energy and eye for detail. Many of his admirers have tried to impose the title of poet upon Ellams who reluctantly accepts the mantle, noting that “if fiction is believed by enough people, it becomes real.” Indeed, while much of The 14th Tale is purported to be autobiographical, the reality of this claim hardly matters. Ellams proves to be a master storyteller, his lyrical prose, assured changes of tone and bodily contortions vividly bringing his material to life. Though essentially a practical joke-playing jerk, the young protagonist is rendered a sympathetic figure by the wisened narrator, adequately conveying the euphoric sense of wonder that surrounds youth and first experiences.

One in "a long line of trouble makers," Ellams' recollections are anchored by a 'present' which sees him distraught in a hospital waiting room, his father having suffered a stroke. Towards the play's genuinely affecting conclusion, indelible ties are shown between the performer and his ancestry, reminding audiences of the storytelling tradition of which he is a part. The 14th Tale sees Ellams reinvigorate an old form and just about make it his own.