Tambo & Bones (Theatre Royal Stratford East) London Reviews and Tickets

87%

(8 Reviews)

Positive

100%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Clever, Absorbing, Funny, Thought-provoking, Relevant

About the Show

The stage adaptation of Dave Harris' novel about two characters trapped in a minstrel show.

Tambo and Bones are two friends who grew up in poverty and struggle to find their place in the world as they face challenges such as crime, drugs, and gang violence. Despite these obstacles, Tambo and Bones remain close and support each other as they navigate their difficult lives.

Part clown show, part hip-hop concert, part absurdist Afro-futuristic lecture, 'Tambo & Bones' examines the commodification and commercialization of Black pain in this satirical show.

The Artistic Director of the Actors Touring Company, Matthew Xia, directs this production.

Member Reviews (8)

Edgy, Thought-provoking, Absorbing

See it if You are open to an unconventional play with a hip-hop flavour on a serious subject viz. Race. The ending will definitely make you think

Don't see it if You are looking a normal play without forth wall breaking

Provocative, Capitalism, Race, Heritage, History

See it if for art that grabs your attn. Fusion of historical & hip hop rap, provocative discourse, experimentation with issues of race & capitalism.

Don't see it if you don’t like loud music, sounds, flashing lights.

Masterful, Great writing, Hilarious, Clever, Absorbing

See it if you have the facilities to get to Stratford

Don't see it if you're Laurence Fox Read more

Thought-provoking, Relevant, Edgy, Funny, Entertaining

See it if Entertaining thought provoking play with lots of comedy music and other surprising things

Don't see it if You don’t like to think to much while at the theatre

Clever, Intelligent, Great acting, Funny, Absorbing

See it if You like plays that can flip from funny to deadly serious in a Nano- second

Don't see it if You like fluff and banality

Relevant, Poignant, Engaging, Irreverent, Clever

See it if Ready for irreverent theatre on race, the historic repercussions of the transatlantic slave trade, & capitalism on both sides of the pond.

Don't see it if If you do not want to see/listen from your comfortable place of mainly white privilege.

100

Entertaining, Clever, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if It's one of the greatest new American plays of the decade. Deserves the West End

Don't see it if Breathtaking

Great staging, Profound, Thought-provoking, Funny, Clever

See it if If you have a passion about black history and the way things have gone especially in US then this is the show for you, to make you thinkl

Don't see it if You don't like swearing/strong language and some heavy truths about racism

Critic Reviews (6)

“ ‘Tambo & Bones’ is not an anti-white play: the third act actually features an extremely amusing gag about the fact the audience is liable to be mostly white; the fact this will be turned on its head at the blackout performance is just another sign of the play’s drolly meta brilliance.”
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" Stone and Ward are superb, and Harris is making us think. In these overwrought, sloganeering times, a little more thinking is just what we need."
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“The success of this play, though, lies in our investment in, and empathy with, Tambo and Bones. Their anger, confusion and conflict with each other drives the narrative, and Stone and Ward engage with their audience, blurring reality and fiction in a way that is as entertaining as it is unnerving.”
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“Unique, challenging and oh-so necessary, it is a moment that will stay with you long after the play’s close.”
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“There’s no curtain call and a standing ovation is enacted to an empty stage – hopefully the performers can experience the appreciation from the wings.”
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“While this subversive production may not be to everyone’s taste, Harris has surely fulfilled his aim: to create a play ‘you’ve never seen on stage before’.”
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Trailer

Creative team

Theatre Royal Stratford East