Traplord at 180 Studios

Located in the heart of Strand, and a short walk from Somerset House, 180 Studios provides creatives the space to develop their art, whilst also functioning as a meeting point for visitors.

Traplord explores Black identity and toxic masculinity using visual graphics, spoken word and dance, brought to life by director and choreographer Ivan Michael Blackstock and produced by Sadler’s Wells. The vision was initiated so that “young Black men could tell their authentic truth”. The concept is strong, and the performance visceral and un-filtered.

Though the show begins with overly loud indecipherable rap vocals while audience members are still chatting, Traplord picks up and remains strong for the duration. Each part is presented through non-linear accounts, though all are threaded together by themes of toxic masculinity, violence, hope and redemption. The eerie and always surreal world of David Lynch is evoked when purple light drifts across the stage while an oval mirror is held up to one of the dancers. This object is almost another character in Traplord; we are always looking at ourselves and often seeing our limitations, attempting to understand how society perceives us. Statements and questions are thrown at the audience: to be Black or not to be Black, a play on the existential Shakespearean line.

All the dancers are in blackface and dark clothing, which further propels the ideas. Synchronised fight scenes expose gang warfare and the challenges of escaping violence, while one dancer with a horrifying pig mask chases an individual with a rabbit disguise. The dance sequences are brilliantly devised and music comes courtesy of creatives including Michael “Mikey” J’Asante, BRNSBRGHT, CREATXR, Denzel Himself and Torban Sylvest, amongst others. Video design by Luke Swaffield is evocative of popular games SimCity and Grand Theft Auto; the latter corresponds with a vivid crash scene, where separate pieces of a car are held by the dancers, coming apart gradually. Simisola Majekodunmi’s lighting creatively underscores and subsumes the artists; one minute bathed in white light, the next moment, strobing stuns the stage. A standout segment sees Kanah Flex contort into the most impossible positions, a shape-shifting genius, while another performer’s emotionally rendered monologue stays with you well past the final scenes, exploring “the shadow of an absent father”.

Traplord is abstract, but that doesn’t take away from its message and compelling delivery. It is a show to be felt and experienced. Although the last act is a little on the nose, the lasting impression is permanent and thought-provoking.

Selina Begum
Photo: Camilla Greenwell

Traplord is at 180 Studios, 180 The Strand Temple London WC2R 1EA, from 26^th March until 16^th April 2022. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Traplord here: