one4review | On 16, Aug 2017

Apphia Campbell gives a tour de force performance inhabiting the characters of Ambrosia and Assata, seamlessly moving between each part with a forward or backward roll of the shoulders.
In 2014 Ambrosia is a naive student from Pittsburgh, attracted to studying in St Louis by her own sunny interpretation of the song St Louis Blues. Her parents fear for her safety with the increasing unrest in Ferguson as they try to install a respect for the police and beg her to avoid any involvement with the protests.
In the 1970s Assata Shakur is a former member of the Black Panthers jailed for the murder of a policeman after years of persecution and avoiding arrest. No matter how hard she protests and what evidence there is of her innocence she never succeeds in breaking free from the desire of those in power to incarcerate her.
Ambrosia reads Assanta’s life story in her literature class and joins in the activism in Ferguson as she wakes up to the inequalities that still exist in the justice system in the 21st century.
Apphia peppers this heartbreaking narrative with her wonderful interpretations of blues and gospel as the drama builds to a climax when the verdict in Ferguson is announced. This play received a rapturous reception from our audience with it’s powerful ending and Apphia Campbell is a compelling stage presence. Go and see!
Reviewed by Rona
Gilded Balloon
2pm Aug 20-28th