American Trade at Hampstead Theatre

‘SLAP, PUNCH, GRAB,’ instructs hustler Pharus, our agitated and barely-dressed protagonist. ‘Motherfucker!,’ barks the skivvy of rapper Jules Mac Mana as he beats the young gigolo on behalf of his disgruntled boss. ‘I’m a businessman. Not no faggot. I wanna fuck you, not love you,’ sneers Jules.

Not for the prude and easily offended, Tarell Alvin McCraney’s American Trade is in-your-face, foul-mouthed and sexually charged. Performed as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s season of World Premieres at the Hampstead Theatre this contemporary and stimulating play marks leading director Jamie Lloyd’s debut with the RSC.

Opening in New York we find self-assured Pharus (Tunji Kasim) on the receiving end of rap star Jules’s (Clarence Smith) anger. Quick thinking, fast-talking and flirting get him out of trouble temporarily but when Pharus’s long-lost Great-Aunt Marian (Sheila Reid) from London offers him the chance to run a modelling agency in the UK, he sees it as a chance to leave enemies behind.

A fresh start however, it is not. As he crosses the Atlantic, Pharus offers his ‘services’ to an uptight passenger and as soon as he’s on UK soil uses the model agency as a cover for a prostitution racket. When new foes, including his paranoid cousin Valentina (Sophie Russell), cross the path of old ones, Jules turns up in London, Pharus is once again in hot water – but his lack of history and self-absorbed attitude make it difficult to sympathise or hope for a positive outcome to his story. Does he really deserve yet another chance?

Fortunately, Kasim’s Pharus is enthusiastic and spot-on. He seems comfortable playing a well-groomed, calculating user and his exaggerated performance works well for a character that has little depth.

For all its provocations, (prepare to see the majority of the cast, both young and old, stripped down to the skimpiest of underwear) the satirical comedy is where the real strengths of this production lie.

The supporting cast is strong, and the recurring role of Girl Wonder in particular (played by Debbie Korley), offers some hilarious social commentary, delivering some of the best lines in the 90-minute performance highlights including: ‘I don’t care for your sweet American Charm that might have worked a few marks back past th’ Prime Meridian but your cute face and Obama curls won’t do anything for me’.

Contemporary references make for an engaging evening and the integration of smart phones and Apple products poke fun at society’s constant desire to be connected and maintain an image. Although we may not invest emotionally, this production demands to be noticed.

American Trade is running until June 18 at:

Hampstead Theatre
Eton Avenue
Swiss Cottage
Hampstead
NW3 3EU

Tel: 0207 722 9301