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Described as a cult classic with a modern twist, Twisted debuted at the National Arts Centre’s first Hip Hop Theatre Festival on Feb. 7.
Told through spoken-word poetry and text messages, this reimagining of Oliver Twist follows Oliver (Ollie) and Nancy, two youngsters who fall in love amid a backdrop of abuse and addiction in Toronto. Their strong connection leads them to plan a desperate escape to try and create a better life together.
Though a bit experimental and graphic at times, Twisted cemented its place at the hip hop festival with strong lyricism and powerful spoken-word poetry.
Originally debuted in 2015, playwrights Joseph Jomo Pierre and Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman revisited their work years later by reprising their roles as Ollie and Nancy and tweaking the script for this performance.
In their world of addiction and uncertainty, texting is a form of intimacy and truth. The two find themselves revealing truths about themselves to the other, finally feeling safe, recognized and understood.
Here, Pierre and Corbeil-Coleman play with the idea of what it means to be an orphan as a nod to the original Oliver Twist. Ollie is an orphan by chance, having been abandoned by his parents. Nancy is an orphan by choice, having absent parents and choosing to leave them behind and move to Toronto. Together, they find comfort in one another.
The pair’s interactions over text sprinkled some humour throughout the play. Ollie’s text of “book” autocorrecting to “boob” garnered some laughs from the audience.
The staging of Twisted was simple and allowed the medium of spoken-word poetry to shine. The only props on stage were Ollie and Nancy’s phones and Nancy’s white puffer coat—one of the first things she bought for herself after moving to Toronto. There were no exaggerated movements or actions; rather Pierre and Corbeil-Coleman delivered their lines from behind the mics and effectively used emotions in their voices to convey meaning.
Twisted finding its home in a hip-hop festival highlights Pierre and Corbeil-Coleman’s lyricism. The cadence and rhythm of the script were beautiful, with words flowing off the tip of the tongue and seamlessly blending thoughts together. The script also intertwined two different manners of speech: Ollie’s poetic verse and Nancy’s dynamic prose.
With the NAC’s first Hip Hop Festival under wraps, Twisted set itself apart as a reimagining of Oliver Twist through a modern lens. The play grounds itself on strong spoken-word poetry showcasing the power of words to move people.
Featured image provided by Sean Fitzpatrick/National Arts Centre.
