The Purists 2024
Opened: November 14, 2024Closing: December 21, 2024
The Purists - West End History , Info & More
Kiln Theatre
269 Kilburn High Road London NW6 7JR London
Subcultures and generations collide in this New York comedy.
On their stoop in Queens, New York, Lamont, a legendary emcee
and Mr Bugz, a hall-of-fame DJ, have been winding up Gerry, a
musical lover, for as long as they can remember.
But when two young women, Nancy and Val, put their rap battling
skills to the test, they are forced to confront their convictions on
race, sexuality and music. Struggling with secrets and their fears for
the future, they realise they have more in common than they
thought.
As this critically acclaimed show makes its European premiere, it
asks - how far would you go to speak your truth?
__Assisted Performances:__
Audio Described: 19 December, 7.30pm
The Purists - - West End Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR The Purists
The Purists at the Kiln Theatre review: fascinating and frustrating discussion of cultural ownership
6 / 10
By far the strongest moment in the play is the electric rap battle between her and Nancy, which sums up the play’s tangled ideas. It’s a contest meticulously scripted by a white male writer to sound improvised, between a white and a Hispanic woman, who are otherwise marginalised by older men, two black and one white, who all think they should own the narrative. The Purists is ungoverned and sprawling and never resolves its thorny questions about identity and authenticity, but it generates much enjoyment as well as much head-scratching along the way.
Whilst most other theatres are decking the halls, the Kiln (ensconced in NW6!) is swerving stateside for the holiday season.
4 / 10
I can’t think why this is the right time of year for this. Nor why The Purists belongs in London when it is so culturally tied to a New York-specific melting pot. But there’s enough endearing charm to compensate for it. Hats off to a sparky rag-tag ensemble cast playing up each cartoonish caricature.
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Review Roundup: THE PURISTS at the Kiln Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz - November 25, 2024
by Chloe Rabinowitz - November 25, 2024
See what the critics are saying about The Purists by Dan McCabeat Kiln Theatre. Amit Sharma directs Jasper Britton, Tiffany Gray, Emma Kingston, Richard Pepple and Sule Rimi. Read the reviews.
Review: THE PURISTS, Kiln Theatre
by Alexander Cohen - November 26, 2024
by Alexander Cohen - November 26, 2024
“This ain’t NWA, it’s NW6.” The preshow warm up rapper unironically proclaims down a booming mic. What a line.
The Purists History
Other Productions of The Purists
| 2019 | Boston |
World Premiere Boston |
| West End |
West End |
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