The MountaintopWritten by: Katori Hall
Trafalgar Studios, London
16/07/2009 - 5/09/2009
On April 3rd, 1968, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave what was to be his final speech to a crowd of 2,000 people in Memphis, Tennessee. The next day he would be dead, shot at 6:01 pm on a balcony outside of the Lorraine Motel. His last speech would come to be known as the "I've been to the mountaintop" address. His death would spark riots in more than 100 cities throughout America, but his life had ignited a movement for peace and equality that would far outlive its leader.
Few figures in modern history have inspired the raw emotion and passion of Dr. King, and even 40 years on from his death, those who were touched by the man and his message cannot help but feel a sense of personal ownership towards his legacy. King spoke to us of our dreams and fears, and he shone a compassionate light on the darkest parts of our nature. It is no wonder, then, that his imperfections and his very "human-ness" have been largely overlooked in the pages of history. We expect our leaders to tower God-like over us, not to be as tragically flawed as we are ourselves.
With this in mind, Katori Hall's "Mountaintop" runs the serious risk of ruffling a few feathers. From our first introduction, her King smokes, drinks, swears, lies, and cheats on his wife. His incredible charisma, charm, and compassion are also present, but it's the unapologetic way in which Hall allows her subject to be real that makes this piece so fascinating to watch. Hall's writing is moving, an unexpected blend of the real and surreal, influenced by a childhood spent only a stone's throw away from the Lorraine. With a wealth of information available about his public persona, Hall is more interested in showing us the man behind the myth. This is a man who takes off his shoes and tie, goes to the toilet, and then questions everything about himself and the movement for which he is fighting. This is not a story about MLK's life; "The Mountaintop" is an intimate and unflinching portrayal of the civil rights leader in the final hours before his death.
David Harewood is obviously taking a risk in the role of King, and it is a risk that largely pays off. Harewood is an exceptional actor with a larger than life presence, and he captures his subject's movements, inflection, and charisma well. As his counter, Lorraine Burroughs is also superb, grounding the piece with much-needed comic relief. It's apparent that the subject matter resonates deeply with them both, and their passion for the work is infectious. The production is staged entirely in one room, the motel room in which King spent the night before his death, but Libby Watson's use of faux windows and sources of off-stage lighting keep the set from feeling claustrophobic.
Of course, a few areas need improvement. Harewood, for example, has mastered King's oratorical skills, but it's difficult to imagine the man using the same intensity of speech during the more intimate moments of his private life. Telephone conversations with his wife and child run the risk of sounding like a prepared speech as opposed to revealing his softer and more fragile side. And at times, Harewood's impression of King, albeit extremely well studied, sacrificed a more honest portrayal of those final hours. In addition, Katori Hall's humorous lines, notably those hinting at future events, sometimes felt scripted and out of place. In the end, though, these shortcomings are a small price to pay for what is an enjoyable evening of theatre.
The most moving elements in "Mountaintop" come in the form of the audio and visual clips that open and close the play. Flashes of pictures and sound documenting the triumphs of African Americans over the past half century seem all the more poignant in the current political climate. Indeed, the words of President Obama close the show: "Yes, we can". The real Dr. King may not have lived to see his metaphorical "Mountaintop"; in Hall's version, she at least allows him a glimpse of it. 4 Stars.
