Speed Review
- Aisling Towl
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
Speed by Mohamed-Zain Dada
Bush Theatre 4th April- 17th May
Review by Aisling Towl
Welcome to the Show - J Dilla
Entering the Bush theatre’s main space, we’re greeted by low, hazy lighting on a Tomás Palmer set - a detailed, but deliberately generic hotel basement. Sound designer and composer XANA’s garagesque beats bleed through something heavier until the audience settles, and then an abrupt, slightly feral intro throws us head first into Speed. It’s an appropriate welcome to a fast-paced show bursting with energy, heart and humour.
2Gether (Enterlude) - Steve Lacy & Matt Martians
Samir, Harleen and Faiza are here for a DVLA speed awareness course, but facilitator Abz has his own agenda: to transform them not just as drivers, but as people. Playwright Mohammed-Zain Dada’s quick dialogue provides gag after gag, letting his actors shine through idiosyncrasies of language and behaviour. Arian Nik is charming as the smitten Samir, Sabrina Sandhu a compellingly pissed off Harleen and Shazia Nicholl’s Faiza has the audience in near-constant laughter with her relentless girl-bossing. All four bounce off each other in satisfying harmony.
Venom - Lil Simz
Less than a year on from the racist anti-refugee riots of 2024, Speed is as much a meditation on ‘Britishness’ as any ‘British-Asian experience’; the latter in particular shown to be anything but a monolith. References to the way Brits don’t riot about our pensions like the French sit alongside nods to the legacies of violence left by Partition and British colonialism more widely. The treatment of anger - and of exhaustion, particularly Harleen’s - as political, feels radical and deeply affecting in Speed.
Armour - M.I.A.
Cracks in Abz’s professional facade surface quickly, and his reasons for clinging so tightly to the Keep Calm and Carry On mug are revealed in his own driving story. While all four are brilliant, this is a standout performance from Nikesh Patel, who balances the humour and tragedy of this role as the play’s final act flips in tone. At the play’s climax, layers of protective armour give way to Abz’s barely-buried trauma, still guiding his every move.
Bumps and Bruises - Boldly James & The Alchemist
At 90mins, Speed is a whirlwind journey that leaves none of its characters unchanged. If anything, all four are worse for wear after the day’s training, forced to face what they’ve buried and confront the uglier, angrier parts of themselves. As an audience, we’re left reflecting on our own bruises; how they can linger and dictate our lives if left unchecked. Speed is an entertaining and deeply moving play, brilliantly realised in Millie Bhattia’s production as part of Lynette Linton’s final season at the Bush.
Honourable Mentions
Vex-Oh - KAYTRANADA, Eight9FLY, Ari PenSmith, GoldLink
Crush - Jai Paul
Ridin’ Round - Kali Uchis
Leave Me Alone - RC & The Gritz, Erykah Badu
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