Michael Balogun stars in this sequel to the Death of England at the National Theatre.
The Guardian: **** “Michael Balogun, as Delroy, is every bit as energetic as Spall, but his performance is more compact and controlled.”
Variety: “Powered — that most definitely is the word — by Michael Balogun’s blistering performance, Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’ dynamic solo play “Death of England: Delroy” is the latest and most singular theatrical victim of Covid-19. Why? Because its press night at the National Theatre was also its closing night, arriving as it did on the eve of England’s second lockdown. Most shows shuttering on their opening night sink mercifully without trace, but “Death of England: Delroy” will, without a doubt, rise again.”
The Times: *** “Who would have thought that the Olivier could feel this intimate? Newly reconfigured as a socially distanced, in-the-round space, the old aircraft hangar has been transformed. What a pity, then, that the doors are closing again when Roy Williams and Clint Dyer’s dynamic monologue has only just opened.”
Evening Standard: **** “In this furious, funny shout of a play, one black Londoner explores the racism encoded both in British institutions and in his relationships with his white best friend and girlfriend. It’s an urgent, timely solo work, performed with firecracker energy and a blend of charm and rage by Michael Balogun.”
A Younger Theatre:***** “Death of England: Delroy is a wonderfully crafted piece of theatre, and its overall structure and presentation is completely in-keeping with the standard one would expect from The National Theatre.”
Culture Whisper: **** “Death of England: Delroy is a searing, unflinching confrontation of Britain’s inherent racism problem. With wordsmiths Dyer and Williams behind the script, the monologue is poetic, acute and authentic.”
The Telegraph: **** “The National’s Olivier Theatre re-opened in glory – only to be immediately shut down by a second lockdown.”
The Arts Desk: **** “At times, you feel the writing trying a little too conscientiously to cover every possible topic out there, as if Delroy Francis Tomlin were a walking copendium of the times he inhabits rather than an individual whom Balogun makes alternately angry and cajoling as required – tearful on occasion, and often funny, too.”
Theatre Vibe.co.uk: “The magnificent Michael Balogun shows a terrific range, a bravura performance and his alienation is a real cause for sadness. But there are also moments of humour. You feel in this play the disappointing and disillusioning human experience that has gone into writing, directing and acting in it.”
iNews: **** “In an electrifying display – funny, charming and confrontational – Balogun explores Delroy’s crisis and also conjures multiple characters, including his tutting mum, the seductive Carly, and the apparently reformed Michael. As Delroy argues with the latter, Balogun whips his head back and forth in a frenzy.”
Reviewsgate.com: **** “It is, however, a standing ovation deserving performance and the play hits right at the heart of the prejudices people have, those unconscious bias moments. The National has been slow in re-opening, but this is an inspired choice with which to re-awake from the virus imposed coma.”