The Purists at the Kiln Theatre – review

Having premiered in Boston in 2019, Dan McCabe’s award-winning play The Purists has arrived at London’s Kiln Theatre.

As we take our seats, sound designer Tony Gayle sets the scene with the likes of DMX’s “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” taking us back in time to the ’90s hip hop era. To further cement the tone, we are introduced to two of the five cast members, emcees Mr Bugz (Richard Pebble) and Val Kano (Tiffany Gray) who are spinning tunes from a turntable in a radio station next door to the apartment block of Mr Bugz and Gerry Brinsler (Jasper Britton). From the get-go, the audience is invited into a call-and-response exchange and to wave our hands in the air like we just don’t care. We respond accordingly in true hip hop style.

Through an unusual friendship trio of multi-faceted characters, Mr Bugz, Gerry with a ‘G’, and Lamont Born Cipher (Sule Rimi), McCabe’s well-researched script features many underlying themes which are, for the most part, explored thoroughly and with depth – misogyny, homophobia and racism within the music industry. The dialogue is fast-paced and the play is high-energy with enough pace to keep us engaged as we observe an unlikely bond between two rap music legends and a musical theatre lover.

I appreciate the depiction of a rarely seen friendship between Mr Bugz (a Black male in his 40s) and Gerry (a gay, older white male). The former is dealing with the guilt of having to put his mum in a home because she’s suffering with dementia. He shares an emotional moment with Gerry one evening in his neighbour’s living room, where he feels safe enough to break down, not something we would normally associate with a hip hop artist. However, there is something far deeper going on with their relationship. Without giving too much away, this scene right before the interval is one of the most intense I’ve experienced in theatre for a long time. Pebble and Britton’s acting during this moment is compelling and wrought with tension – albeit marijuana and whisky-fuelled via their characters.

Tom Piper’s set design, representing a Queens apartment block complete with graffiti and scaffolding, is impactful as it adds authenticity in transporting us to inner city New York. The staging is such that the back of the stalls is the ideal position to enjoy the scenery in all of its glory.

Mr Bugz and his sidekick Lamont spend much of their time on the stoop talking about everything and nothing as friends do, but there are hints that Lamont is more of a “has-been” with nothing to show for his previous success and accolades as a rap legend. Their friendship is put to the test when rumours circulate about Mr Bugz’s sexual orientation, with Lamont feeling that if the truth came to light, it would have a detrimental effect on the hip hop industry as a whole.

Through Ruth Badila’s costume design, hip hop fashion plays a significant role with characters adorned in colourful Avirex jackets, Timberlands, caps (to the back), hip hop chains, basketball tops or tank tops and baggy Adidas tracksuit bottoms – helping to keep it real. However, Gerry’s fluffy slippers, dressing gown, boxers and vest combo are a delight.

Subtly directed by Kiln’s artistic director, Amit Sharma, the play dissects the good and the bad of hip hop culture. It would be incomplete without the characters spitting bars. Much joy comes from the rap battle between Val and Nancy Reinstein. Nancy, a colleague of Gerry’s, is a hip hop aficionado describing Eminem as a “genius” but also a huge fan of Lamont, whom she is here to meet. The judges are Mr Bugz, Lamont and with reluctance, Gerry. When each gives their feedback, it reminded me of the Strictly Come Dancing judges – harsh but fair, with Gerry having to make the deciding vote. The female emcees spar playfully and thoroughly entertain the audience as they go back and forth cursing each other out and giving as good as they get.

It opens up the discussion amongst the characters, however, that it’s likely that Puerto Rican Nancy would be sidelined over the white female rapper because that’s just the way it is. One important narrative centres around the majority white-owned mainstream rap labels, and their obsession with promoting negativity over positivity.

Although I feel that some of the script could have been fine-tuned to make it tighter, there are plenty of witty one-liners, often delivered by Britton. The Purists provides some effortless cool in contrast to the plethora of our usual pantomime offerings at this time of year.