The morally defunct ‘bro’ culture of the finance world leaves Kofi facing the consequences in this richly intimate one-man show.
It is New York City, and a quick joyride in a BMW leaves Kofi with big dreams of financial success and the power money can grant him. While his strict but fair Ghanaian father aspires for him to become an accountant, Kofi’s rapid immersion into a murky equity firm tests Kofi’s loyalties and scruples, forcing him into a choice which puts his professional and personal relationships on the line. So, why is he now in prison? Over the next hour, Kofi leads us through his mammoth rise and substantial fall, and the toll chasing dollars took on his soul.
What certainly helps In The Black is that writer and performer, Quaz Degraft, is writing largely from experience, drawing on his time in the financial sector and providing, in his script and performance, a sense of authenticity which is both gripping and terrifying.
Degraft multi-roles with great confidence, from his energetic and chaotic friends to his seemingly suave and powerful bosses, and even love interest Gia too. It is a compelling solo performance and one which suits the small performance space, enabling Degraft to utilise small, purposeful movements to convey Kofi’s joy, anguish and heartbreak. Indeed, the stripped-back approach to the show’s staging is a neat metaphor for how ‘Money Bag Kofi’s’ identity is stripped and mutated by big finance, reiterating the intricacy of Degraft’s writing and delivery.
His complicated relationship with his father is intensified when his dad becomes ill, which coincides with a repugnant event at work which forces Kofi into a bargain, a choice which determines his future but significantly impacts the present too.
It is a significant twist, and one Degraft handles with maturity. While it would have been interesting to have had a little less on his upbringing and more on the ramifications of his choice, which seem to bubble over almost instantly, the creative decision for this pivot is an inspired one, and something that elevates the piece and our perception of Kofi.
What starts as ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ becomes Dr Faustus, a riveting and brutal exploration of toxic masculinity, corrupting power dynamics of the financial world, and how even good men like Kofi can be swayed by it.
An absorbing solo show; Degraft is one to watch out for in the future.
