Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘If we love, we grieve. That’s the deal. That’s the pact. Grief and love are forever intertwined.’ So says Nick Cave, a man writing about grief more vividly and eloquently than anyone else currently alive (for my money, at least.) A similar sentiment is the ultimate destination and realisation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Notes on Grief, one of the flagship performances as part of the 2021 incarnation of the Manchester International Festival.

The text of the piece is taken verbatim from a New Yorker written by Adichie in the aftermath of her father’s passing in 2020. Whilst the death itself was not covid related, the grieving process for a family spread over several continents was inevitably seriously hampered by the ongoing pandemic.

One of the most timely commissions in the history of the festival.

Whilst a magazine article about grief may not sound like fertile ground for a compelling piece of theatre, Rae McKen’s staging of the text converts the extremely personal events detailed into something more universally recognisable, especially after an 18-month period in which so many of us have lost loved ones and been denied the catharsis of communal grief. In this way, this is one of the most timely commissions in the history of the festival.

Michelle Asante’s central performance representing Adichie is strong, natural, and allows easy empathy from the audience.

Michelle Asante’s central performance representing Adichie is strong, natural, and allows easy empathy from the audience, which is essential to the function of a piece this intimate. However, the frequency of stumbled lines makes it difficult to remain entirely immersed at times. The supporting multi-roling of Uche Abuah and Itoya Osagiede is a great boon to the world building, and their changing dialects (coached by Mary Howland) are remarkably strong.

The sound design (Edward Lewis) is sparse yet emotive and impactful and augments the text beautifully. It blends well with the movement (Yami Löfvenberg), however some sections of movement feel contrived and almost amateurish, especially towards the beginning of the piece.

So Notes on Grief is not without flaws, but its heart shines through – bruised and beaten by the cacophony of grief but not dimmed, and able to outshine any of the imperfections which might have a greater impact on lesser work.

-Daniel Shipman

Notes on Grief plays at Manchester Central until 17 July 2021.