The Legends of Them at the Royal Court – review

The spiritual journey of healing will dredge up the most haunting memories from the grave, Sutara Gayle aka Lorna Gee dances with the ghosts on stage in her self-penned The Legends of Them (directed by Jo McInnes). The award-winning, reggae pioneer raises the roof as she takes the audience through a labyrinth of emotions in her showcase of personal identity and the power of voice. The Legends of Them is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

We start with Gee’s origin story, an MC from Brixton, on her path to becoming a superstar. A product of the Windrush generation, her stance is strong, her passion and energy are excitable. Witnessing domestic abuse from an early age, sent from school to school, child psychiatrist to the care system, she is a force to be reckoned with but deep down her centre is soft and vulnerable. With every core memory exposed on stage, the child inside is slowly buried under a weight of bricks. Gayle is incredible onstage, a true testament to her natural raw talent and experience as one of London’s most revered reggae artists.

The play is a one-woman show, and although it ultimately works well, it often becomes confusing. It’s hard to tell where we are in the story at any given time as the play doesn’t follow a linear structure. However, Gayle is such a charismatic entity that she wins the audience over regardless. It eventually got to the point where I gave up trying to follow and just allowed myself to be taken on the ride with Gee as the driver.

In true Royal Court fashion, the set design is superb and the fog on stage feels reminiscent of the aforementioned ghosts of Gee’s past. There is one specific shot toward the end of the play where she transcends to her higher self, audible gasps are heard throughout the audience as it is an incredibly monumental moment in the play and feels like Gee’s life coming around full circle. The sound design (by Elena Peña) is expertly crafted and serves in itself as a character on stage, following Gee through her history. It is used to pinpoint her multiple lives lived. There is a slow insidious hum around the stage during memories of strife, this is punctured with the sudden use of meditation sounds to show her moments of inner reflection and coming to terms with those harder memories. Then there is the fun, upbeat rhythms that rock the stage when life is handing her psychological lemons, and she is making the most out of her lemonade.

Coming from a family where Lovers rock and dancehall music were staples in my household, The Legends of Them feels personal. At times, a little uncomfortable to watch, but the discomfort is soon accompanied by pride and love. Lorna experiences a metaphorical shedding of her skin; towards the end, we see her step out of her well-loved identity that she has crafted for decades and into her higher self. It feels like a privilege to watch, and Gayle’s performance is one that will stay with me for a long while to come.