REVIEW: A RED COAT IN THE RISING SUN, Camden Fringe at Etcetera Theatre 19 - 25 August 2024

“The might of the British Empire is nothing but lies.” ★★★

After her mother’s death, Kayo returns to her family home in Kyushu, to sell it. As she sifts through family heirlooms and junk, she discovers an unexpected token of her great-great-great grandmother’s life, which leads her to re-evaluate her family history.

In 1862, a British red coat soldier, Sergeant Barker, is injured in a Japanese strike against anchored British ships. Barker, now stranded in Kyushu, seeks help from Kiyo, a local Japanese woman (and Kayo’s great-great-great grandmother). The first encounter between Barker and Kiyo realistically highlights the meeting of different cultures who invariably distrust each other and whose inability to communicate through language is fraught. Barker’s arrogance at expecting Kiyo to speak English, (while maddening), is authentic. When Kiyo speaks in her native tongue, there is no translation or use of broken English to convey her meaning, so the audience gain insight into how she feels about this stranger showing up on her door - guessing at his meaning and intentions.

Despite Kiyo and Barker’s initial meeting being ladened with tension and misunderstanding, empathy prevails. Mentioned, but not played out onstage, they reach an understanding and fondness for each other over several months while she nurses him back to health.

The past and present are entwined masterfully, the past being revealed in flashback, through a letter and a spectral visitation. It’s an interesting and inventive narrative approach that serves the story well. However, this play feels unfinished - as if the middle has been bypassed and we're only presented with the beginning and end.

Voice over and sound effects are used to great effect to illuminate the history of the Japanese/British conflict at Kagoshima, providing the audience with crucial background information about this little known kernel of history. Midori Ogawa delivers a commanding performance as Kiyo, which is nimbly balanced with the double role of Kayo, whose modern day perspective shows an impatient ignorance of her own family history and her ancestors. While Nathan Brocklebank turns in an admirable performance as Barker, full of conviction, that perfectly encapsulates the fears of a man far from home and reliant on the kindness of a stranger for his survival.

“A Red Coat in The Rising Sun” would benefit from further plot development, it has an intriguing premise that shows great promise and both leads give strong performances, making it a diamond in the rough.

A RED COAT IN THE RISING SUN by Ross Stephenson

Presented by Draft 99 Theatre

Camden Fringe show at Etcetera Theatre

19 – 25 August 2024

Box Office: https://camdenfringe.com/events/a-red-coat-in-the-rising-sun/

Annie Power is the Artistic Director of Open Page Productions, and an award-winning writer and producer.