African
Snow was a professional touring theatre production at the Corn Exchange,
commissioned especially for the Bicentenary by Riding
Lights Theatre Co. and York Theatre Royal. The
play centred upon the meeting of two men, cast from opposite sides into the
slave trade - Olaudah Equiano, stolen from his home in West Africa,
and John Newton, the converted slave trader who later gave the world one
of
its most famous hymns, Amazing Grace. The challenge
of bringing victim
and abuser face to face is what the play takes up - taking the
audience to the heart of the human condition.
The national tour was co-produced by The Ideas Foundry and Brighton based BME-led theatre company InService Productions who also contributed to the audience development strategy.
Feedback on African Snow
The production presented a dynamic encounter between African and British cultures, drawing together a creative team, which included a number of artists and collaborators from Nigeria as well as the UK. The play voiced an African perspective on the Slave Trade, with Olaudah Equiano’s largely un-told story as central to the narrative. In a reversal of what has come to be the white narratorial norm on the Slave Trade, the African voice and culture dominated the production, challenging an English one that was represented by the one white actor within the cast of eight. The style of the production was in accord with Riding Lights’ trademark ensemble and collaborative approach, resulting in a piece which was adventurous, provocative, accessible and moving.
African Snow was not merely a commemorative piece of theatre. It turned the spotlight onto the rising trade in slaves today: in 1807, there were 4,000,000 people in slavery worldwide and it is predicted there are now over 20,000,000. At a domestic level, it also confronted the quiet racism and discrimination of our own communities, asking questions about how we live with one another.
The play was a major element of the Redemption Song season as it was
specifically commissioned for its significant cultural impact and audience
development potential. The production was generally very well received
and audience targets were exceeded. The marketing campaign supported
by ISP effectively targeting the BME community and lower income groups,
offering heavily subsidised tickets and a priority booking period. The
general public were also offered booking incentives with a range of special
offers widely advertised. Over 1300 people attended the performances,
many of whom had never been to the theatre or the venue previously. Although
they were not entirely enthusiastic about receiving the production initially,
the Corn Exchange experienced a much higher proportion of BME visitors
than they have done in the past, indicating that the overall audience
development strategy was extremely successful.
"I
thought the play was really amazing and inspirational, especially
the way in which the two narratives
engaged each other, providing a dialogue between the leading protagonists
and also two different view points (also a black and white protagonist).
This I think stopped a proportion of the audience being alienated
or having a biased perspective." |
"I
think there was a diverse range of people attended the production.
I noticed a lot of young
people from 14-25 there, which I thought was very encouraging.
Whether this was due an initiative or interest is a different story
but I think this was very interesting. Also different cultural
backgrounds too which I thought is exactly what productions such
as this should be stimulating. A good and diverse turnout I thought." |
"I
enjoyed the play’s high production values - lighting and
set design in particular. I felt that the subject matter was
instantly engaging but that the impact was lost by so much of
the play being in the past tense…. I liked the black actors
playing white characters, but would have liked this to go a whole
lot further, with completely colour blind casting - eg: Chinese
or Asian actors also in the cast/white actors playing black characters
as well. This would have given the piece a more contemporary
resonance. It would have put the programme note about the 40,000,000
slaves in the world today - who aren't only from Africa but Europe
and Asia as well - up on the stage in front of us alongside the
historical story." |
"Both
my children and I left feeling very moved and that we'd seen
a wonderful, insightful, and informative play." |
"I
think the pricing of the tickets is good value for money and
great if it encourages a new audience to theatre and
I think that was achieved.There was a much higher proportion of
the BME community than I have experienced in a theatre audience
before." |
A
secondary school history teacher remarked during the after show
Q & A that the production "Had taught
the pupils more in 2 hours than they had learned in 2 years at
school." |
Photos courtesy of Riding Lights Theatre Co.
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