Shining a light on 1970s’ America, Headlong Theatre bring Jitney to The Courtyard Theatre

Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright August Wilson (Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) explores the impact of regeneration on small communities in search of the American Dream and the dangers of interracial relationships in the seventies. Through his lead, Jim Becker (Andrew French), Wilson questions family responsibility too as Becker is a man with a huge heart whose son is soon to be released from prison after serving a “life” sentence.

Focusing on the cabbies at a local taxi company who drive unlicensed cars, affectionately known as “Jitneys”, Wilson’s script is slow-moving. The first half is especially meandering with much of the dialogue aiming merely to give a sense of era and community. A steady flow of taxi drivers pass through the “Car Service” office as the phone rings incessantly, their small talk and gossip a window into the local neighbourhood and a snapshot into the daily lives of the drivers.

The second half picks up the pace as a smouldering atmosphere builds before we hurtle towards a surprising but nonetheless apt conclusion. There’s humour in the familiarity between the drivers, a boozy Fielding (Tony Marshall) scampering about the stage gets some laughs and a highly-strung Turnbo (Sule Rimi) delivers some of the funniest lines. Meanwhile, Becker philosophises and Youngblood (C J Beckford) and Rena (Leanne Henlon) have a genuinely heart-warming final showdown.

Set and Costume Designer, Alex Lowde takes a minimalist approach but effortlessly transports the audience to post-Vietnam America and the close-knit African-American community of Pittsburgh through choice vintage items. His set comprises solely of a trapezium shaped block with a cut-out performance space, ensuring the focus for this production is always on Director, Tinuke Craig’s exceptional cast.

Aside from the sparse office furniture, projections of black and white maps, street scenes and traffic move the action along. Sound Designer and Composer, Max Perryment’s combination of traffic cityscapes and jarring drum music sets the play’s bubbling undertone as Jim Becker and his fellow “jitney” drivers are propelled towards an unknown future.

Jitney is not without its inconsistencies but the success of Headlong’s latest show is predominantly down to its exceedingly strong ensemble. When some scenes are unnecessarily drawn-out, captivating performances win the day. Time-consuming but undoubtedly thought-provoking, Jitney’s worth a watch.

Jitney shows in The Courtyard Theatre from October 16th - November 6th: https://leedsplayhouse.org.uk/events/jitney-2/