Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Stratford East, London
Cast: Matthew Gravelle, Shvorne Marks, Suzanne Packer and Nia Roberts
Set in 18th century colonial Jamaica, Azuka Oforka’s searing yet witty new play powerfully explores the experience of women during slavery – those who benefited from it, those who were brutalised by it and those who fought to destroy it. THE WOMEN OF LLANRUMNEY puts Wales’s role in slavery centre stage; illuminating a hidden chapter of British history.
“They cannot take love from us. When we connect, that is rebellion.”
The Women of Llanrumney is a harrowing tale of the wickedness that lies at the core of Wales’s history and role in the Atlantic Slave Trade. Azuka Oforka, the playwright, notes that she was inspired to write the show following a visit to Llanrumney Hall in Cardiff, the supposed birthplace of Captain Henry Morgan. The overall ‘lack of understanding about the British Colonial system of chattel slavery’ pulled Oforka to create this story, to serve as a reminder that enslavers are synonymous with brutality, anger, and abuse - regardless of the buildings, street names, or statues that may have been erected in their memory.
The impeccable performances of the stars of this show is what solidifies The Women of Llanrumney as a five-star show for me. As the lights dim for the evening, we are introduced to Annie (Suzanne Packer) and Cerys (Shvorne Marks), two slaves that work on the Llanrumney plantation. Annie is introducing Cerys to the duties that are expected of them as housekeepers, as Annie has been working in the Llanrumney household for decades, with plenty of experience to share. She is a pleasant and hardworking rule follower and is clearly trying to influence Cerys to follow her lead. However, Cerys has only recently been allocated to working in the house due to her growing pregnant belly. Prior to this, she was working in the heat, out in the fields of the Llanrumney estate. Cerys makes it quite clear from the beginning that she does not condone the attitude that Annie embodies when she engages with the lady of the house, Lady Elisabeth Llanrumney (Nia Roberts). Many snide marks are made regarding just how often the wealthy white enslavers sit down for meals, how much food goes to waste, and how much alcohol they are consuming at any time of day - especially Elisabeth.
The stage is set to replicate an 18th century home (Stella-Jane Odoemelam), with the dining table centre stage. Much of the dialogue throughout the show occurs at or around the kitchen table. On the wall of the home, we see a photo of Captain Henry Morgan, who Annie speaks of fondly.
As Elisabeth enters the home for the first time, the audience is immediately smitten with laughter by Nia Roberts’ portrayal of Lady Elisabeth. The delivery of her accent, her one-liners, and her body language are all so dramatic, but in the best ways. This was honestly such a fantastic performance, so much so, that it left me - almost - forgetting that Elisabeth is our villain. The monologue that Elisabeth delivers, outlining how she spent her previous evening, had me giggling from top to toe.
Annie expresses to Cerys that she is Lady Elisabeth's ‘friend and confidant’, and this is something Annie is clearly proud of. She is proud of her status as a housekeeper and makes it clear that working in the fields is beneath her. Cerys is speculative and although she is silent through almost every scene in which Elisabeth is present, Shvorne Marks continues to deliver an impactful performance through her glares, glances and grimaces as she watches the desperate dynamic between Annie and Elisabeth. As the story continues, it comes to light that Lady Elisabeth has been a bit too frivolous with her finances and is in dire need of someone to step in and rectify the situation. At the risk of Elisabeth losing all of her property, including her slaves, Annie steps in to offer solutions in an effort to ensure that Annie herself will eventually be freed. This is the catalyst for the remainder of the play. Although there are many mishaps along the journey of The Women of Llanrumney and their attempt to save the estate, Annie and Elisabeth are highly motivated - although, of course, their motivations differ from one another.
We see Elisabeth meeting and liaising with several men in an effort to access their assets, with each of these men being played by Matthew Gravelle. I was particularly impressed by his powerful performance as the cheeky and difficult Tommy Flynn.
Throughout the attempts to save Llanrumney estate, we see the layers fall away around Elisabeth as, little by little, she reminds the audience that she is not Annie’s friend or confidant in the way that Annie thinks she may be. It is important to note that there are, of course, several scenes that utilize historically accurate and triggering language toward Annie and Cerys. As Annie scrambles to reckon with the events that are unfolding, Cerys delivers one of the most compelling lines of the show - ‘true freedom cannot be given, it must be taken.’
The standout performance of the show is undoubtedly Suzanne Packer as Annie. Annie is a complex character who, along with decades of experience on the Llanrumney Estate, also carries decades of traumatic and horrific experiences that have driven her to continue to dote on Lady Elisabeth, in a way that Elisabeth assuredly does not deserve.
The Women of Llanrumney is a deeply impactful, dynamic and necessary story. Watching the journey of these women took me from being thin-lipped, to laughter, to catching my breath. Ultimately, it brought me to tears in the final few moments of the show. The cast was met with a standing ovation.
Stratford East allows the theatre to remain open as a reflective space for ten minutes following the conclusion of the play. The Women of Llanrumney will be playing at Stratford East from 19 March until 12 March, with access performances on the 5th and 10-12th of April.
You can book tickets to The Women of Llanrumney, here.
Review by Miranda
**photo credit: Chuko Cribb**
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