Between The Lines – New Diorama Theatre, Euston

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

Writer: James Meteyard, Composer: Jammz 
Director: Maggie Norris, Musical Director: Shemzy

“Bold, Unique & Impactful”

4 / 5

Blaze FM is at the heart of the local community – with people tuning into the pirate radio station that cuts out the crap and has the real conversations that listeners want to hear about. The faces behind the mic are family, championing each other to succeed, and providing support when things go wrong. But with police constantly shutting down the stream and the flats at risk of being demolished for refurbishment, the future of Blaze FM & its founders hangs in the balance. 

Hughbert (Andrew Brown) and his children Aisha (Anais Lone) and Alpha (Aliaano El-Ali) own the flat, and are at the centre of the network, passionate about keeping the community together and the station alive. While the UK is crumbling politically outside, with Bush and Blair’s war on terror and the censorship of grime artists for supposed incited violence, Blaze FM remains a constant for its listeners – an escape as well as a voice to a community that otherwise yet haven’t had their own platform. Over the course of a decade, the audience are shown the evolution of the station and the progression of the team themselves – from obtaining fame after a viral YouTube music video, to the threat of deportation. The ups and downs are magnified in the small recording studio, and it’s impossible not to be completely enamored by the expertly performed production.  

Writer James Meteyard fantastically showcases the tribulations of early 2000s within the script – deftly referencing a multitude of themes such as gentrification, violence, politics, censorship and community spirit. While some storylines move on quickly without much conclusion such as the possible deportation of Hughbert, it doesn’t detract from the progression of the narrative, which constantly moves forward with the introduction of new issues or goals for the characters. The only time where it loses momentum slightly is with the obscure speech from Mute (Daniel Holden), that seems to have been thrown in without much thought, completely unlike the otherwise fantastically heartfelt monologues and interactions with each of the characters. The script works alongside the incredible musical score composed by Jammz and performed by the cast live on stage.  

While the stage is small, the set speaks volumes and completely elevates the show from beginning to end with the use of projected images (Tina Torbey & Mic Pool) to signify the tower block location, as well as various short video clips related to different scenes. The design, much like the storyline itself, is gritty but inviting and immediately creates the required atmosphere to kick off the narrative. Each of the performers are immensely talented – both musically and otherwise. Marcus Reiss (Pritstick), Jake Walden (Stephen) and Andrew Brown (Hughbert) are brilliantly comedic when required, yet also shine in emotive scenes that really strengthen the landscape of the storyline. Aliaano El-Ali (Alpha) and Alexander Lobo Moreno (Jason) are extremely lyrically talented, with Anais Lone (Aisha) providing beautiful vocals as the 3 main musical performers in the show. The chemistry between the cast is wonderful, and their pacing is tightly performed to ensure the narrative remains sharp and snappy.  

This is a big, bold, impactful show that expertly outlines the various different messages explored within both acts. The strong performances and engaging character development is nothing short of captivating. An exciting production with a talented creative team and cast.  

Runs Until 1 June 2024