Outlier by Malaika Kegode
Vickie Smith
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Vickie Smith takes a look at Outlier by Malaika Kegode, published by Salamander Street.
A poetic gem perfect to use as stimulus for those aged 16 and above
If you fancy something a bit unconventional then this is the play for you. Its writing style is unlike any other play that I have read. Malaika Kegode tells an autobiographical story of friendship through poetry, music and animation. The live band that she has partnered with ‘play’ the different characters in her story but they do so as ‘voices’ rather than as actors. It is truly unique in its presentation. The play is littered with beautiful poetry and it is evident why Malaika has won a number of awards for her writing.
In my opinion this play would be really interesting to explore with a Level 3 Performing Arts class who would be able to explore not only the characters but also the music that is documented throughout and used to paint a picture. For example, the band play flirty music when Mal is talking to Oskar to set the scene. Having a class that is able to explore both elements would be inspiring.
The content of the play captures the autobiographical story of a group of friends and the relationships within this. It starts fun, vibrant and flirty but it quickly transforms into a story about parties, drugs and toxic relationships. It has mature elements and may therefore be something to explore only with older students. My suggestion would be a minimum age of 16+.
The themes of loss and isolation are very evident, and the poetic writing style adds to the sadness that surrounds Mal's story. This would be a good play to explore and use as the stimulus for Edexcel's A Level Drama devising unit, component 3.
On reading the play, an element that is a really interesting concept is the ‘gig space’, the fact that these are written into the script gives directors something interesting to explore, there is almost a Brechtian feel about these moments.
At the start of the play there are detailed notes from all of the designers, writers and directors. This allows you to visualise more what the intentions behind the ideas are and gives you an insight when you are reading the play. This is a performance I really wish I had had the pleasure of watching.
