REVIEW: LITTLE BROTHER at Jermyn Street Theatre until 21 June 2025

‘Unusual, timely and important migration story’ ★★★★

This is an unusual play. And “timely” is an understatement.

It is the personal story of a man who travels from his home in Guinea and eventually, after many trials, arrives in Spain where he meets and became friends with Basque writer, Amets Arzallus Antia. Together they write his story, now adapted by Timberlake Wertenbaker. It’s an intensely powerful, deeply moving narrative which puts a much needed human face on the migration “issue”. 

Natalie Johnson’s simple but ingenious set comprises pink-flushed cinnamon coloured steps with a hint of Islamic decoration over the door. It stands for the desert, various villages, shops, an inflatable boat and more as we travel thousands of miles through Africa. It’s a true-life quest story along the lines of The Odyssey or Pilgrim’s Progress although the ultimate destination shifts.

Ibrahima (Blair Gyabaah) doesn’t really want to be a migrant. He has to work from age 13 to support his mother and siblings, particularly after the sudden death of his shoemaker father. Then his younger brother disappears and Ibrahima follows him, with many a hindrance on the way, to the terrors of Libya only to discover eventually that his brother was a passenger on a  lost, overloaded migrant boat. Gyabaah gives us a finely judged account of a brave, hard working determined young man who cares very much about his family. He gets exploited but he also has a heart-warming gift for friendship. 

The play is structured around Ibrahima and a strong, versatile ensemble of four who, between them play dozens of support roles. Mo Sesay, for example, is Ibrahima’s kindly father and unkind uncle along with various employers and fixers, each differently voiced and skilfully nuanced. Ivan Oyik finds plenty of childlike playfulness in the titular little brother, among other characters, and Whitney Kehinde plays the mother and all female roles with sensitivity.

Youness Bouzinab presents the story teller who works with Ibrahima in what is effectively a framing device. He also – with the versatility which characterises this production – plays a whole string of other parts and is especially chilling as a Libyan guard with scarf over his face and Kalashnikov over his shoulder.

At the end Bouzinab departs briefly from the script (it’s published by Faber) to tell us that Ibrahima was invited to London to see ‘Little Brother’. Then a week before it opened the Home Office cancelled his visa although he has a residence permit which enables him to work as a motor mechanic in Madrid and now has a passport which has allowed him to visit his family back in Guinea.

The inhumane vindictiveness seems never to end. And that’s why this is an important play.

Photos by Steve Gregson

LITTLE BROTHER by Amets Arzallus Antia and Ibrahima Balde

Adapted by Timberlake Wertenbaker

Directed by Stella Powell-Jones

Jermyn Street Theatre

15 MAY - 21 JUNE 2025

BOX OFFICE https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/little-brother/

Youness Bouzinab

Performer

Youness trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He has collaborated with Foreign Affairs, New Diorama Theatre and the National Theatre Studio. Screen credits include Bob Marley: One Love and Spent.

Blair Gyabaah

Performer

Blair trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and was a member of the National Youth Theatre and RADA Youth Company. He previously performed at the Old Vic as Booster in Jitney.

Whitney Kehinde

Performer

Whitney trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She previously performed at Jermyn Street Theatre in Outlying Islands and The Tempest. She has worked across stage and screen, including appearances at the National Theatre, the RSC, and in Disclaimer.

Ivan Oyik

Performer

Ivan trained at Guildford School of Acting and was nominated for The Stage Debut Award for Blue/Orange. He has performed at the Bush Theatre, the Young Vic, Trafalgar Studios. His screen work includes Ludwig, Doctors and Shook.

Mo Sesay

Performer

Mo is known for Soldier Soldier and Young Soul Rebels. His extensive theatre appearances include the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, Soho Theatre, Arcola Theatre and Kiln Theatre. He will appear in the upcoming film debut from Ryan Calais Cameron.

Amets Arzallus Antia and Ibrahima Balde

Writer

Timberlake Wertenbaker

Adaptor

Stella Powell-Jones

Director

Natalie Johnson

Set Designer

Maariyah Sharjil

Costume Designer

Jahmiko Marshall

Lighting Designer

Falle Nioke

Composer

Max Pappenheim

Sound Designer

Lati Saka

Movement Director

Abby Galvin

Casting Director

Ronin Traynor

Fight Director

Aundrea Fudge

Dialect Coach

Lisa Cochrane

Stage Manager

Soria Hamidi

Trainee Assistant Director

Eshmit Kaur

Artist Wellbeing Practitioner

Sharjil Ziauddin

Prayer Consultant