Jali by Oliver Twist - ★★★★☆

Ipswich, Queensland Australia. Foreign ground for Oliver and his family, but their new home after what has been the most tumultuous time in their hopes to resettle. Jali by Oliver Twist is a first hand tale of the horrifying story of a refugee who was displaced from his home at just four years old due to the Rwandan genocide.

The year is 1994 and Rwanda has erupted into violence following the assasination of Rwandan president Juvénal Habayarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntarayamika just over the city of Kiga, Oliver’s home. 

The days that followed the event started a long period of masacre, with over100 days of civil war. The Hutu militia  fought the Tutsi ethnic group, and some Huta and Twa people. For Oliver, it wasn’t enough that he was Hutu because his mother was Tutsi. Caught in the middle of this, Oliver and his family; dad, mum and three young siblings had to seek refuge elsewhere.

Part spoken word, part poetry,with mainly monologues with tonal shifts, Oliver Twist expertly takes the audience on a journey detailing his life story. The stories he tells take various forms, some light-hearted filled with humour, and others are more reflective, where he finds himself questioning things that have happened. At the core of it however is the gruesome tale of his reality and the journey of resettlement.

This production was flawless in many areas. The use of music, sweet to the soul, LED lighting that contributes to Twist's storytelling and lastly the use of movement. Twist made great use of the stage to further emphasise more pertinent points.

Throughout the performance, Oliver Twists manages to unpack and bring understanding to the various aspects of being a refugee. The trauma that comes with constant refusals, the red tape, the reasons he was refused asylum and how all these factors affect family life. Oliver also references the subtle racism that he faced, one that’s familiar to many minorities living in predominantly white communities.  

Oliver's ability to ‘make light’ of his situation by infusing jokes through various parts of the play was exquisite. He was able to bring  charm and humour to such a difficult story, all while remaining focused and in control as he recounted his life. To bring the play to a close, Twist encourages us to change the music so the dance can too. 

A great show from Soho Theatre and an interesting story all in all. We look forward to seeing more of Oliver Twist in the near future.