Shine @ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Shine is a searing, soulful account of a young man's childhood and youth, that combines both intimacy and spectacle
Actor, rapper and singer Kema Sikazwe makes his stage debut with a searing, soulful account of his immigrant childhood in Newcastle, interspersed with his rap compositions. Sikazwe is alone on stage throughout the 70-minute runtime, and he builds a comfortable rapport with the audience between his original songs. Those songs are not always tied in to the narrative, but always capture the atmosphere and emotion of his route to belonging – a journey that began when he moved to the UK with his family at the age of three.
The matter-of-fact discussion around race, culture, and privilege is the show’s strongest non-musical element. The hardships of growing up on a council estate, especially as someone who looks different from everyone else in the community, do not need to be amplified to ring true. In a similar vein, Sikazwe’s reckoning with his family’s history of mental health issues drives home the reality of living with these problems – while they deeply affected his and his loved ones’ lives, they in no way defined them. Sikazwe delivers the piece's most vulnerable instances with care and compassion, creating moments of genuine connection.
Not everything in Shine is hard-hitting. Sections exploring the unique difficulties that the Geordie accent and vocabulary present to a newcomer provide comic relief, while still honestly depicting the overarching search and struggle for identity. Additionally, the Traverse proves a very suitable venue for both the intimacy and the spectacle required, as Sikazwe bares his teenage struggles and familiar pain while performing his compositions accompanied by stadium-style lighting.
Shine present a deeply personal narrative through fresh, inventive artistry that marks Sikazwe as a creative force to watch. With this sensitive, personal exploration of what it means to belong, art, words, and music become instruments of connection – almost redemption. By the show’s conclusion, the most important identity expressed and experienced is one that is both honest and unforced. Watching Sikazwe convey this discovery is a joy.