As the lights dimmed, I almost spat out my overpriced chocolate bites as I clocked a white naked man beating African drum-style rhythms onto an upturned bin. Eventually he made his way to the stage, I felt the whole audience exhale in unison and relax a bit more as we realised that he was part of the act. After the naked dancing subsided, we were thrust into 2015 where the BNP are in power and enforcing an Orwellian type society where people have lost their civil rights. The stage set is urban- grim, there are several stacks of TVs with film and CCTV playing. One of the TV sets displays live footage of the DJ, Mr Simmonds, spinning beats throughout.

The idea for the play began when the cast had political debates through rap, it was also inspired by a book on cultural criticism, The Rebel sell. The nude man is a popular anarchistic activist named Dizraeli protesting in a Tesco car-park. After being involved in several acts of terrorism opposing the government, Dizraeli is given a life sentence in prison. During his time, he reminisces with a journalist through rhyme, Baba Brinkman, who he used to tour the festivals with. They perform tracks from their albums such as ‘Tesco Bomb’ and ‘Welcome to capitalism’ exploring topical issues like consumerism and democracy. The Rebel Cell is a lively interactive rap drama delving into the lives of two old friends and their conflicting views on how society should work. Despite living on separate ends of the class spectrum they are united by their love for rap music and free-style poetry.

Although The Rebel Cell was very entertaining, it demands a level of participation that can’t be delivered from every audience. It was clear that the cast were used to playing to fuller and more energetic crowds and at times the reserved response felt awkward. Nevertheless, it is a new and exciting experience to be taken on a journey by talented lyricists. If you are into hip-hop, performance poetry and politics this is the perfect play to see. The Rebel Cell Myspace page has samples of their music and video footage. Check them out here.

Words: Yoji Munuo