Apphia Campbell’s Black is the Color of My Voice first appeared – perhaps bizarrely – in Shanghai, eleven years ago. Since then, it’s been performed all over the UK as well as in America and Australia, including successful runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Inspired by the life of Nina Simone, who died 21 years ago but whose memory lives on in her outstanding recordings, this is an irresistibly compelling performance that impresses from the start.
Apphia Campbell takes us straight to the heart of her character Mena Bordeaux, heavily influenced by her childhood and her God-fearing parents, reminiscing on how she started to play the piano at the age of 3 without any teaching, and how she was encouraged to develop and grow provided she didn’t play the Devil’s music (spoiler: she did!) She first encounters racial prejudice when she is refused a place to study classical music, and the fury she feels as a result only makes her more determined to attain success. She becomes involved in the Civil Rights movement and appears alongside Martin Luther King, whose assassination devastates her. She is also trapped in a cruel, violent marriage. But she never ceases to strive for equality, using the power of her voice to change minds.
A bed, a table, a photograph and a suitcase of memories is all it takes to stage this stirring and emotional one woman’s examination of the life and career of someone who touched millions of hearts through her music and her activism; and this simplicity of presentation makes the content of the show appeal directly to the audience without unnecessary trappings and distractions.
Ms Campbell’s performance captivates your attention throughout. Not only does she convey the emotion of the story, but she also has a superb singing voice which fills the auditorium with disarming ease; a rich, passionate tone that suits the Nina Simone material perfectly. The writing is heartfelt and beautifully worded; if I have a tiny criticism – and it is tiny – it is that the play starts and ends at roughly the same place, with Mena Bordeaux’ hands outstretched towards a vision of her beloved daddy, which gives a static but false impression that we haven’t moved on throughout the past 75 minutes. But we have; one comes away from the show wanting to know much more about both Nina Simone and the Civil Rights movement – I felt ashamed to admit how little I knew about both.
The tour continues to Birmingham Rep, and then visits Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia before returning to Leeds and Manchester in April and Stratford East in June. An electrifying and inspirational journey through one woman’s life. Don’t miss it!
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