Old Vic’s Jitney is a fascinating social commentary – review
Unfolding inside a small but stylish box set, Jitney tells the story of several unlicensed cab drivers in 1970s America. It’s part of August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle of 10 plays – which chronicle the African-American experience during each decade of the 20th century, and is perhaps most famous for the film adaptations of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Fences.
Jitney is the second play from this cycle we’ve had the opportunity to see, after reviewing the London production of King Hedley II in 2019.
It’s a fascinating social commentary: over the course of two-and-a-half hours, what we see is a character study of black men trying to do as best as they can in a society set against them.
Although this was the first of the Pittsburgh Cycle of plays to be written, the writing is rich and the characters are fully realised.
