Ben Powell
Before Ella, Tina, Billie, or Beyoncé – there was Josephine.
Josephine is a glorious burlesque-infused musical biography of the legendary Josephine Baker; from the lows of fleeing the racist mobs of Atlanta, Georgia to the highs of being, so the rumours say, the richest black woman in the world.
The show smartly uses all of the tools of Josephine Baker’s arsenal to tell her story, weaving cabaret-style repartee, burlesque, music and dance into one seamless thrill-ride through the life and times of the one of the most remarkable women in of the last century.
Josephine Baker was many things in her time; showgirl, movie star, lover of all genders, mother, drag king, civil rights activist and international spy. Through Josephine, Dynamite Lunchbox highlight how ahead of her time she was and, further, how much more the world could, and should, have benefited and learned from her in her wake.
It is an impressive feat to compress a person’s life story into an all-too-brief 75 minutes but the team behind Josephine handily balance enough exposition to keep the audience thoroughly fascinated by this remarkable woman without giving away so much that you don’t leave ready to learn even more!
In its tenth anniversary year, it is fair to say that this show is polished to perfection – the set eclectically strewn with the treasures and trinkets of a woman exploring success she’d never even dreamed of whilst never dominating or cluttering the space. The technical aspects serve the story well, with excellent song choices throughout and a rather delightful silhouette sequence leading into Baker’s big break.
But all of this would be a jewelless crown without the sparkling work of Tymisha Harris. Harris truly honours Baker with her performance; full of charm, grit and wit. Her dance is fabulous, voice smooth and silky and her chemistry with the audience fizzes like champagne. One of the absolute highlights of the show is a masterful vocal montage of sorts, as Harris begins a song with a young, inexperienced, excitable voice and matures through its choruses into the consummate, confident professional the world would come to adore.
One of the things I love about fringe theatre is the freedom to take a risk, to try something that might be a little rougher around the edges. If I had to make a criticism of Josephine, it would simply be that this show, especially with Tymisha Harris at the wheel, could already be playing in London’s theatre district!
Josephine is as timely as Josephine Baker is timeless. An absolute triumph and testament to the glorious life of an all-time cultural icon.
Recommended Drink: Well… it can only be Champagne!
Josephine continues at Colchester Arts Centre on between the 30th October and 1st November. (Performance times vary). Tickets are available through the Colchester Fringe Online Box Office.
Chiara Vascotto
