A woman with uncanny similarities to the legendary Nina Simone locks herself away for three days of cleansing and the audience watch, entranced, as she regales a photograph of her late father with stories not only from their shared past but the things she kept quiet. The premise of Black is the Color of My Voice is wonderful. Fortunately, it is executed well, too.
Apphia Campbell is the star of this one-woman show and her performance goes far beyond simple impersonation. Saying that, even to impersonate Simone is no simple task.
Simone is always a penumbral presence, in every movement and pause, in every growl or laugh, but the slight dissociative break that Campbell gifts herself (in making the central character a fictionalised version of Simone, called Mena Bordeaux) means that one never feels one is just watching someone play pretend. This is in spite of the amateurish surrounds.
The suitcase which is brought along and which provides the means from which Bordeaux is able to tell her stories to her father feels a tad on-the-nose, but there might be no other way to better frame the narrative. It works fine, at least. And the stories it allows her to tell are very good. Her impersonations of father, mother, teacher and lovers all feel distinct and lived-in. You can tell that Campbell has been working on the show for a while, though there were some odd moments of clumsiness or faltered dialogue which suggested otherwise.
I recommend the show whole-heartedly. The music is, of course, divine. The final song of the night is the one you might expect it to be, but it is delivered in such a way, with such a force, that you will remember it for the days to come.
Campbell imbues Bordeaux—classically trained pianist, civil rights activist and singer of the devil’s music—with her own vitality. It is a fresh take on biopic theatre. She proves herself to be a performer capable of a solo command of stage without ever looking like she is out on her own. ★★★★☆ Will Amott 10th June 2016
