Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Richly crafted characters, a soulful score sensationally performed and Alice Walker’s painful, though spiritual and joyful, narrative make The Color Purple an unmissable production.
With music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, and book by Marsha Norman, The Color Purple is based on the 1982 epistolary novel by Alice Walker and the subsequent film adaptation by Steven Speilberg in 1985. And if you’ve read the novel or seen the film, you’ll understand that the work centres around some hard-hitting themes. The story documents the traumas, and ultimate triumph, of Celie, a young African-American woman, who has her autonomy, innocence, body and education snatched from her. Playing out over four decades, we witness Celie’s rise as she learns to accept and also reclaim those fundamental treasures of life that were stolen from her.
Perfectly executed, brimming with soul and spirit
This production is so special because it does not hide from the darker elements of the story. Powerful and upbeat, every song hits you right in the solar plexus – this is a production littered with emotional liberation. Under Tinuke Craig’s masterful direction, The Color Purple is tightly paced – the wonderfully bright score feels sweetly inventive, comforting and hopeful alongside the exploration of the narrative’s heavier themes. The action is complemented by Alex Lowde’s minimalist wooden set design and we are orientated to time and place by the use of simple, though intelligent video projections by Joshua Pharo.
This production really shines in terms of its casting and it’s a challenge to pick out any individual performances. Me’sha Bryan holds the audience close as Celie – charismatic, gentle and courageous – delicately balancing a dramatic edge with a vocal richness. Anelisa Lamola brings sass and heartfelt emotion as Sofia and Bree Smith is perfectly tuned as Shug Avery. Graceful, harmonious and disciplined, every cast member performed with passion.
Powerful and upbeat, every song hits you right in the solar plexus
A celebration of community, female empowerment and redemption, The Color Purple is nothing short of a triumph. The show earned a standing ovation and rapturous applause on the night I attended. Perfectly executed, brimming with soul and spirit – not to be missed.
-Kristy Stott
The Color Purple runs at The Lowry, Salford until Saturday 15 October 2022