Made You Look Delivers A Strong Message

Last night saw the first outing of Ty’rone Haughton’s ‘Made You Look’, and we were left with a powerful sense of both the performer and the message he was delivering.

The show featured monologues and performance poetry, all delivered with passion. Throughout it, the character Haughton offers insights into life as an immigrant, the role of men in society, and his own personal journey through childhood and into the responsibilities of being a grown-up in today’s world. From the moment he entered the stage, we were captivated by his language skills, delivery, and the impact of his words.

This piece is deeply personal, yet the character being created is also not the person performing it. The poems are interjected with spikes of light, sound and other media which add to the dramatic tension in the room. The audience responded with murmurs of agreement, nods of recognition, and pure silence as the tension rose even higher. Throughout it, the words continued to cascade into the room, a word-perfect rendition of a script both written by the performer and fully understood by them.

The poems themselves were fascinating, and performed rather than spoken. They sped up, they slowed down, the emphasis changed, and they carried meaning in every word. They were created by a small team, but felt deeply individual. They talked about issues that are relevant not just to a black man in Britain, but to anyone who lives in a society where our culture has created marginalised and minority groups of people. Whilst we were learning about his truth, we were also reflecting on our own experiences, understanding a little more about how our current situation has come about and how we might deal with this information. At the same time, we felt comfortable hearing about the situation. The performance was provocative and emotive, but the anger was not directed at us; more, it was something we were invited to experience.

The piece really worked because of Haughton’s presence on the stage. He told us that he is not an actor and doesn’t act, merely performs his poems. However, this was an amazing rendition, and he immediately captured the audience. His poem about being a boy was spell-binding, and the words he chose to present the profile of a young man growing up were universal to everyone there. The stage was also fascinating. From our seats, we could see that it had been created with pictures and text, but at the end of the piece, we were invited to explore the set and could see how much work had gone into the little details.

Last night’s performance ended with a question-and-answer session that offered insights into the writer and the world he has created. This was natural, relaxed and necessary, allowing the audience time and space to process what we had experienced.

Also appearing last night was Brighton-based poet Gray Taylor. His set was a wonderful contrast to what was to come. His shorter poems were personal, exploring the generations of his family, his experiences, and his thoughts, again delivered in a distinctive style that drew on hip-hop, grime, and R&B influences. He was confident and charming, and again drew everyone in with his fluent, flowing lyrics. Definitely someone to watch in the future.

Whilst this is a challenging show, the impact it has made will stay with us for a long while, raising questions we may not have thought of and demanding answers that will take some time to find. We witnessed a first-rate performer who put effort into every moment he was on stage and an authentic voice that mattered.

Performance Dates:

Thursday 26th February – Brighton Dome Studio.

Tickets are available here from £10.00.

Accessibility information is here.

Find more arts and culture reviews at Brighton & Hove News – Follow @BHCitywhatson and @bhcitynews on Instagram.

Covering everything from fringe theatre to major tours across Brighton & Hove – tag us if you’re going!

#WhatsOnBrighton #BrightonandHoveNews #Brighton #BrightonTheatre #BrightonArts #BrightonHoveNews