We round up the reviews for Beru Tessem’s play, which continues to run at the London theatre until the 21st December.
The Guardian: ** “In a co-production with Tamasha, director Daniel Bailey keeps the tempo high, as he did at the same venue with the superior Red Pitch, and it’s no punishment spending an evening with Taylor-Ford and Najib. They bounce around Amelia Jane Hankin’s set, where the pale pink hues are intermittently disrupted by video screens, neon and – when panic sets in – digits swarming across the floor like ants.”
The Telegraph: ** “Beru Tessema’s ebullient new play about young east London entrepreneurs fails to sink its teeth into the mysterious world of digital gold.”
The Standard: *** “The boisterous, goading friendship between Taylor-Ford’s Manny and Hassan Najib’s swaggering Abdul is more convincing than any of the other relationships on stage, though Alma Eno and Ery Nzaramba wring moments of humour and pathos from Fevan and Markos. Jamael ‘Hamilton’ Westman takes the role of crypto-evangelist Devlin (before ceding it mid-run to Tom Moutchi) and works the audience like a showman; but even he seems not entirely certain of his tone.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “One of Tessema’s text’s greatest strengths is the ability to highlight the socioeconomic pressures faced by immigrant and working-class communities. Discovering the characters’ willingness to risk it all for financial stability becomes all the more devastating when we consider the potential exploitation they face. Wolves on Road offers a timely, and thought-provoking view into the digital currency world, reminding us of the hidden costs behind those glittering promises.”
Theatre & Tonic: *** “Wolves on the Road effectively explores the intersection of technology, trust, and money in today’s world. While it could have gone deeper into its characters and their relationships, it remains a thought-provoking and relevant production that with a deeper exploration of characters and relationships would stand out even more.”
Time Out: *** “Wolves on Road is an entertaining, energetic play that speaks of a writer not quite ready to leave his comfort zone of zingy dialogue for relatable young men. But as the Devlin monologue shows, Tessema is at his best when he pushes himself furthest.”
London Theatre Reviews.co.uk: **** “Daniel Bailey has the audience as invested as the characters are in their success. Taylor-Ford and Najib have a bubbling energy that pulls you in and keeps the play moving. Ery Nzaramba really shines in this production. Markos is that uncle we are all familiar with, making the collective misfortune that bit more painful to watch. Amelia Jane Hankin’s set is glossy and the addition of cameras feels right for the world of the play.”
All That Dazzles: *** “There is much to admire about Wolves On Road with its content every bit as ambitious as its protagonists. When it’s at its best, it shows signs of brilliance but sadly struggles to maintain that level and suffers from a dip as the narrative and messages threatens to plummet.”
The Stage: ** “Deep dive into the world of cryptocurrency loses its way.”
The Reviews Hub: **** “Bailey’s direction builds an unexpected tension throughout and finds a real sense of light and shade in the piece. The Act One ending feels slightly underplayed or misplaced, leaving us on less than a cliffhanger. However, the investment in characters keeps us wanting to come back.”
Everything Theatre: *** “The balance between the personal and the political feels uneven. It leaves both stories feeling slightly shallow and a wish that there was further focus and development on one story further. There are a lot of laughs between Manny and Abdul, and the emergence of Markos’s story really strikes a chord with the audience, leaving this as a good evening but one with a lot more potential.”
London Theatre 1: *** “It’s not clear, at least not to me, whether this is meant to be a play about crypto (every single character has a reason to express strong emotions and opinions on it at some point or other) more than it is meant to be about family dynamics and cross-cultural clashes. The active role of the Church in Manny’s community, and therefore in this story, is interesting to note in an era of declining religious adherence.”
Theatre Weekly: *** “More a drama of friendship than finance, Wolves on Road seems at a loss as to what it is trying to say. At two and a half hours, it is also too long and in need of an edit. A rare misfire for one of London’s most exciting theatres.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/wolves-on-road/