Could sport — and specifically basketball — be deemed poetry in motion and a vehicle for dedicated players to take flight metaphorically as they bond over their love of the game? That’s the underlying premise of this new touring show conceived and written by the poet, playwright and performer Inua Ellams.
Spotlighting the talents of an all-male cast of six, it’s a fresh combination of eloquently rhythmic spoken text and a stylised physicality that honours both competitive sports and street moves.
The script includes key contributions from Jacob Sam-La Rose and Nii Ayikwei Parkes, while the Nigerian-born, British-based Ellams assembles all the disparate verbiage seamlessly. Directed by the UK hip-hop pioneer Benji Reid, the hour-long performance is coherent enough to support the weight of its