In his latest play, which is by turns fascinating and frustrating, Dipo Baruwa-Etti explores elements of contemporary Black experience through the story of a smugly comfortable British-Nigerian family challenged by an outsider. Influenced somewhat by the Black Lives Matter protests of the last couple of years, it asks if change is best brought about from within or without the system, and what happens to those consumed by the struggle for equality.
Fractious family relationships are well observed in Monique Touko’s slick production at the Almeida. Baruwa-Etti skilfully blends big themes, authentically jagged and overlapping dialogue and a trademark hint of the supernatural. But the politics and the positions of the characters are too pat. The Clinic feels schematic compared to more audacious shows we’ve already had from this prolific 27-year-old.
