Even before opening, Tambo & Bones – the poet Dave Harris’s satire about the past, present and future of race in the US – was causing a stir. After choosing to have one evening of the 28-day run as a Black Out performance, the play was condemned for its supposed isolation of white audiences. But a word of warning to all the haters: if you are getting riled up by this decision, you’ve seen nothing yet. Harris’s script is a loud, provocative confrontation of the US’s muddy racial history.
With constant wit and self-awareness, Harris acknowledges all the hardships and prejudices Black people face daily. But much more than a lesson in unfairness, this triptych is form-shifting and endlessly surprising. The duo Tambo and Bones are trapped in a minstrel show, wasting away the hours bickering in the artificial idyllic countryside. So, what is the problem? They have no money to their name.
