An invitation to reconnect with your Inner Self: Ebony Scrooge at Sadler’s Wells East
Words ALICE TCHERNOOKOVA | Images SHOKIRIE CLARKE
We’ve all fallen victim to it: the endless hustle, the never-ending chase for success – all the results of an output-driven hyper-capitalistic society.
Anyone living in a place like London or New York will be able to relate to this – especially those working in the performing arts/creative realm. You’re always so busy thinking about what’s next and what else you could improve that you forget to focus on the here and now.
The story of Ebony Scrooge – dance-theatre company ZooNation’s take on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, with influences from Hip-Hop and Caribbean culture – will feel familiar to many of us. Having accomplished her dream of becoming a successful high-fashion icon, Ebony seems to ‘have it all’.
But on her way to the top, she appears to have let go of some of the essentials that define us as human beings: our story, our origins, and our loved ones.
As she journeys through recollections of her Past, Present and Future, we witness how Ebony reconnects with parts of herself she had lost along the way. Her first appearance on stage – embodied by the breathtakingly talented Leah Hill – is picturesque, theatrical and monochrome, representing the way Ebony has chosen to live her Present life. That scene uses elements of Vogue, which in the words of Dannielle ’Rhimes’ Lecointe (who wrote, directed and choreographed the show) is all about the “image”: a very fitting way of capturing Ebony’s personality and demeanour at that stage of the story.
As the story moves along and Ebony travels to her Past – with a hop into the Future depicting a dystopian, Squid-Game-like reality in between – we progress towards a more colourful environment with warm hues and vibrant patterns, reminiscent of Caribbean culture.
As that happens, our protagonist gradually sheds all the layers and accessories that have built her image as a strong, untouchable figure of power and influence: first the cape, then the heels that turn into trainers before Ebony eventually ends up barefoot – characterising her reconnection to her roots, to the Earth, and to her childhood in the Caribbean.
Eventually, we are left with a stripped back version of Ebony: devoid of all artifices and masks, she is now her Authentic Self.
All of this symbolises her journey to vulnerability: in order to find her way back to who she was at the origin – when she was born, surrounded by family – and what may have inspired her to become a fashion designer in the first place (the vivid colours and patterns of her birthplace), Ebony had to get rid of all the superfluous elements that clogged her vision.
The pink pashmina that she gives to her niece – whose warm and loving character contrasts with Ebony’s cold manner – towards the end of the performance is a metaphor for her reconnection to herself and her loved ones.
The lyrics sung by the storytellers at this point of the show say it all: “I’m trying to find me… It’s so heavy it’s like centuries… I’m trying to find home… The blessing is the chance to honour your past and carve out your future, to do better, to be better.”
ZooNation’s take on Ebony Scrooge doesn’t just dust off a classic Dickensian tale with sparkles and sass. It is a true invitation for us all to go on a journey of introspection, to reflect, and to reconnect.
Now – how’s that for a Christmas show?