House of Ife by Beru Tessema - ★★★☆☆

Set in North West London, during a heatwave in July, House of Ife intricately explores the way in which our individual actions can affect those closest to us. It brings to light how difficult some families can be when trauma and truth is buried, when conversations are dismissed and when only one side of the story is told.

The play follows three siblings who gather to prepare the house for their brother's funeral. Yosi wants to be a musician, Aida is an artist, and Tsion is a primary school teacher (in training). Together they share many things, but nothing unites them more than their shared grief of the loss of their older brother and Aida’s twin, Ife.

The focal point of the story seeps out as the siblings begin to engage in conversation. Ife was a drug addict and died at the hands of his addiction. As the story begins to unfold however, we realise that there are layers that prelude his death. Their estranged father returns from Ethiopia, cultures begin to clash, tensions rise and history is brought to the present.

The script is incredibly gentle and detailed, however with a slow start, at times it felt like there was a slight rush to fill in the gaps towards the end of the performance.

Lynette Lynton does an incredible job in directing a pace that supports the actors to bind the script together beautifully. The performances of the actors hold this drama together as we are presented with humour, joy and love from the siblings and their parents.

As the play comes to a close, revelations of childhood abuse, betrayal, religion and sexuality leave us with a greater understanding of this complex Ethiopian-British family, but it also displays the depths in which this play could go into. We are left wanting more of House of Ife as we leave the show, knowing that this is a story for all.

You can catch House of Ife at the Bush Theatre until 11th June 2022.