Last night I headed to the Bread and Roses Theatre in Clapham to catch Arif Silverman’s one-man show Sestercentennial, a play centred around a Fourth of July barbecue that puts pressure on some deeper-seated questions. Across its short sixty-minute runtime, Silverman explores themes of family, race, belonging and identity.
Silverman delivers a commanding and conflicted performance as Hamza Beshara, a conservative Bangladeshi-American struggling to reconcile the current political landscape of America with his cultural roots. The timing is apt, quite literally as the show was performed on the eve of Independence Day, and Hamza’s discussions surrounding identity and race are probably the most relatable threads. They bring him into conflict with his sister Ish and his parents, revealing the tensions that grow from occupying multiple, cultural identities. It is Silverman’s writing and performance that allows for an authentic look at the dual identity of the ‘All-American Muslim’ and the contradictions that this brings.
While these ideas are familiar ground, particularly within contemporary theatre, Silverman’s use of second person does place the audience under the microscope as well as Hamza, inviting us to interrogate our own identities and assumptions. As a performer Silverman, through voice and physicality, seamlessly adapts to each character he inhabits, with Chiara Bowker’s lighting design providing deeper insight.
The show’s short runtime does, however, leave some narrative threads underdeveloped. Hamza’s conflict, and eventual expulsion from his friendship group although painful, but arrives so suddenly that it does not land as heavy as it should. The show’s commentary is undeniably timely, but it sometimes tips over from character-driven drama into issue-led theatre. At times the play explains, giving the tone of a lecture instead of a piece of drama. Silverman’s intentions are no doubt good, but due to its packed themes and shorter run time, I found myself admiring what the play was trying to do more than being moved by it.
3/5
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Poster designer: Nadim Silverman
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