"Something's always going down — it's Peckham," says a character early on in this highly collaborative piece. It is the work of a group of 10 writers, led by Bola Agbaje and Rachel De-lahay. And what's mainly going down, amid the pains and passions of local residents, is the steady march of gentrification.
Pushy property developer James (Simon Balcon) has a vision of Peckham as a place packed with bistros and coffee shops. For the time being, though, it is replete with nail bars and butchers: to James it seems ‘a wart on London’s bottom’, while to proud residents such as rail worker Linda (Wendy McNeilly) it’s an enclave of authenticity in an increasingly pretentious and unaffordable London.
James is the embodiment of insouciant capitalism. ‘Look around you,’ he says. ‘Who’s going to fight for this place?’ As it happens, the answer is just about everyone, from James’s own daughter, who has moved to the neighbourhood to soak up its particular brand of bohemianism, to bolshy hairdresser Chi-Chi (a rather wonderful Kemi Lofinmakin). There’s even resistance from shopkeeper Amir (Christopher Glover), although his customers regard him as a sell-out.
Presented as ten episodes of roughly eight minutes each, Peckham: The Soap Opera wears its heart on its sleeve. All the performers are volunteers ‘from the Peckham area’ (which I suppose means they could be from Nunhead or New Cross). Their committed if not always polished work has been marshaled by director Ola Animashawun.
Among the more arresting actors are Alice Fofana and Kola Bokinni – the latter bringing a loose, understated charm to his role as streetwise Joey. Their engaging performances are typical of a show that’s not profound yet is certainly enjoyable.
Until Sept 14 (020 7565 5000, royalcourttheatre.com)
