REVIEW
EXiT
Playhouse, Derry
IF ANYONE knows about the minefield that is the music industry it's Derry ex-rapper Eaman Craig.
Several years ago the artist formerly known as Wileman had been negotiating a major record contract that fell through after label demands did not resonate well with him. Being on the cusp of stardom and walking away produced a conflict and frustration over what could have been that eventually formed the basis of his play EXiT, performed recently at Derry's Playhouse.
EXiT is Eaman's exploration “of the modern music industry versus the conflicted mind of the artist” and plays out in one long sequence in the living room of Jonah Walker, a singer, who negotiates then walks away from a recording contract with a music label.
Jonah's life is complicated. He is trying to keep his head above water. He wants to stay true to his art, but is penniless. His efforts to do the right thing are suffocated by a drink problem and emotional baggage he carries from his childhood relationship with his aggressive father and an internal conflict over his own identity.
The play has many dimensions and a plethora of characters, despite the fact that Eaman is the only person on stage. He takes us on a journey through the thought process of a musical genius and profound soul. The audience laugh along with the likeable rogue as he personifies musical eras, they cry with him as he makes contact with his father after 10 years of silence, we have our fingers crossed for him as he leaves the realm of the living room to sign the record contract.
EXiT is like being trapped in car being driven by a maniac. The audience doesn't know where it is being taken next. It is captivating, raw, poignant and punchy – much like being lost in the fractured mind of a tortured genius for an hour.
Belfast dates are planned for later in 2016.
