Through the Mud is an emotionally powerful duet about police brutality and racial inequality in America.
There are two stories. One storyline features the Black Panther Assata Shakur and I knew nothing about her before today. The second is a college student at the start of the Black Lives Matter movement.
You’re right. Through the Mud is not a show that highlights our progress since the 70s. I watched the show while England and Northern Ireland entered another day of right wing and racist riots.
American police are known as pigs throughout, Black Lives Matter is chanted and sung, and the idea that all the Black Panthers were terrorists is not even considered. All of that should be okay, but needless to say, if you’re a “push the small boats back” sort of tyrant, then you won’t enjoy Through the Mud. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Tone
Through the Mud is defiant, angry, frustrated and sad.
The American police seem to NEED to issue burdensome fines to pay for themselves. How can that have become the system and why isn’t everyone angry about it?
It’s not the performance that drives most of these emotions. It’s the story.
Our young student starts off naive and prepared to defend the system. She makes some decisions any one of us would make. She makes some mistakes—she was six minutes late, for example—and before we know it, she’s in big trouble.
When the protest songs come, it is a relief. We, the audience, need them! We’re having to sit in the air-conditioned luxury of Summerhall. We’ve been unable to shout angrily at the police, so when the performers finally start, it helps.
What to expect
There are two performers and two stories. One performer usually plays the main character in each timeline, while the other plays all the supporting roles.
However, most of the story is first-person narrative. We’re told that she steps onto the pavement to escape the crowd, and then the same performer tells us of the cop’s approach and what happens next. Sometimes, we’re even told what the supporting character said or did, even though that role had just been played.
Occasionally, and frustratingly, sometimes, both performers speak simultaneously. I lost everything that was supposed to be said during those rowdy moments.
There are plenty of songs, generally supported by music piped in over the speakers, but they’re good and well-sung.
Overall
Through the Mud is over an hour long but compelling enough to make the performance seem shorter.
The musical elements are great, the dancing is modest but effective, and the ratio of sung storytelling to spoken word is spot-on. It’s not an American production, which is a little weird.
It’s not possible to sit Through the Mud and not feel a powerful sense of injustice. This is precisely the sort of performance that makes the Edinburgh Festivals important and not just entertaining.
A review of Through the Mud
Summary
The powerful and compelling performance of “Through the Mud” transcends its hour-long duration, seamlessly blending music, dance, and storytelling to evoke a profound sense of injustice.
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Good to see a positive review, as I’ve not read much about this two-hander. I thought it was the best thing I saw over our three days at The Fringe. Both performers were fantastic; committed, believable and such fabulous singing voices! It was moving and a call to action. Wonderful.