Mandela at the Young Vic

A new musical about the life of Nelson Mandela and Apartheid; good in many ways but dripping with unfulfilled potential.

Mandela is part Nelson Mandela’s story, part his family’s story and part the story of Apartheid South Africa. It touches on key moments throughout the period: peaceful protests, violent protests, Nelson’s imprisonment, Winnie Mandela’s imprisonment, Winnie’s violent machinations, Thembi Mandela’s death, Oliver Tambo’s exile and his actions to mobilise political support abroad, sanctions and so on.

It feels like a quick timeline of events, jumping years between every scene and rattling off headline moments rather than diving into any with real depth. Even the most ignorant in the audience may not learn anything new about Nelson Mandela. In fact, the only things this show really tells us about him are that he led a movement against Apartheid and he was in prison for a while. It’s an overlooked opportunity to focus on just one compelling story, of which there are so many woven into this time.

The flawed narrative is, however, propped up by a flawless everything else. A strong cast perform music that is bubbling with hope and seething with anger. The choreography is explosive and captivating. The vocals, particularly those of Danielle Fiamanya as Winnie, are powerful. The soundtrack in general is everything you want from a musical, mixing epic ensemble numbers with devastating ballads. The stage has been filled to the brim with incredible performing talent, from stunning dancers like Hanna Dimtsu and Blue Makwana to powerhouse vocalists like Prudence Jezil and Sneziey Msomi.

But no matter how good each individual piece of the jigsaw is, if the big picture is missing, then you can’t help but feel disappointed. There is intense emotion on stage throughout, but it’s difficult to feel that as an audience when there’s no real connection to any of the characters.

Mandela is a good show: the singing and dancing are enjoyable enough and most will be happy watching it. But it lacks the depth of narrative to be great.

Jim Compton-Hall
Image: Helen Murray

Mandela is at the Young Vic from 29^th November until 4^th February 2023. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.