Theatre / Reviews
Review: Slave: A Question of Freedom, Tobacco Factory Theatres – ‘incredibly harrowing and emotional’
Slave: A Question of Freedom retells the story of Mende Nazer, a Sudanese woman who was kidnapped by the Muhjahidin as a child, raped and then enslaved by families in Sudan and London before finally making her escape.
The play is based on Mende’s autobiography, Slave: My True Story, which was also adapted into a Chanel 4 television drama in 2010 starring BAFTA-winner Wunmi Mosaku.
The play initially debuted in 2010, starring a young Lashana Lynch (who can now be seen in blockbusters like James Bond and the Woman King).
is needed now More than ever
It’s 2024 revival coincides with the ongoing civil war in Sudan, which erupted in 2023.
The age recommendation for the Feelgood Productions production is 12+ but I would say it’s more suited to slightly older children, due to multiple insinuations of sexual violence.
As the lights darkened in the Factory Theatre at the Tobacco Factory on October 16 I sat up in my seat, anxious about what to expect.
The Theatre was half-empty and I was nervous that, because of this, the actors would not give us their all. I was wrong.
The play starts off with haunting choral singing from the eight-part ensemble as they introduce us to our protagonist – Mende Nazer – playing with friends and family in the Nuba mountains of Sudan.
The plays opening scenes are set in Sudan
Admittedly, I initially find myself unmoved by some of the earlier scenes in the play.
I’m not convinced by some of the actors’ attempts at East African accents, think the storyline is moving at too slow a pace and wonder what we were doing spending so long on a young Mende weeing in bush, watching her little brother wrestle and talk about an arranged marriage we – in the audience – know will never come to pass.
However, as the play progresses, I begin to see the need for those initial long opening scenes.
They provide levity, and crucial context, for what ultimately is an incredibly harrowing and emotional play.
Slave is ultimately an incredibly harrowing and emotional play
We see Mende ripped from her home, friends and family and exposed to some of the worst anti-Black racism imaginable on this planet.
We see people time and time again offer to help Mende before spitefully turning against her.
We also see people who know the way Mende is being treated is wrong, but do nothing.
I was incredibly impressed by Yolande Ovide’s performance as Mende.
Yolande Ovide gave a standout performance as Mende
The majority of scenes involve her wretching and crying and, at times, I wondered how she was able to draw tears so easily. It was hard not to cry when she cried, pained at being abuse once again.
Another actress might have made these scenes appear overwrought or even unintentionally comical but the LAMDA-trained actress gave a standout performance.
As did Sara Faraj, whose portrayal of the grotesque Rahab (Mende’s ‘master’ in Khartoum) caused some of the audience members sitting next to me shake their heads and mutter “shame” whenever she walked on stage.
Caroline Clegg’s artistic direction work well throughout, with the song and set choices also doing a good job at helping the audience transition from the Nuba mountains to Khartoum and from Sudan to Britain.
Caroline Clegg’s artistic direction worked well throughout. She is pictured here with Mende Nazer
Indeed, the strength of her direction was clear to see from how well the ensemble worked together and individually.
Each actor, besides Yolande, was tasked with playing at least three different characters throughout the play and each did a great job at clearly embodying different personas.
This was despite the fact that some character changes were only marked corporeally by swift outfit changes and, at times, a subtle addition of a patterned cloth on top of the outfit of the character they were previously playing.
It was probably helpful that two of the actors were in the original 2010 production as well.
Everyone in the eight-part ensemble gave the production their all
Some audience members may find it uncomfortable that some actors were playing characters with ethnicities different than their own – particularly as some portrayals could be seen as perpetuating negative stereotypes about certain African and Arab groups.
However, for the most part, I felt the acting was strong enough to dissuade such concerns. It was clear that the actors were dedicated to the story, above all else.
And the story was an important one.
As the play came to a close, with a final message about the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the audience gave a standing applause.
Mende was greeted with a standing ovation when she came out to take a bow with the cast at the end of the play
There were whoops and cheers when Mende herself came out to take a bow with the actors.
From the stage, Mende thanked the audience for showing up and, in doing so, showing they cared about the continuing issue of modern-day slavery.
It is estimated that more than 130,000 people are still trapped in modern slavery in the UK.
It was a powerful night and I was very glad to attend although couldn’t help feeling sad that so few people were in the audience.
The next stop on the production’s tour is the Shakespeare North Theatre in Prescott
I hope that more audiences will join the production as they spend two more nights in Bristol before travelling to Prescott and before the end of their tour in London on November 9.
On Thursday October 17 the Tobacco Factory will host an Anti-Slavery Symposium on the issue of modern slavery led by Dr Rubina Jasani of the University of Manchester and survivors from Women Asylum Seekers Together.
I would encourage you to show up to this and to a future performance of Slave if you can.
This year, Black History Month is themed around ‘reclaiming narratives’.
The best way we can all work together to reclaim narratives around modern slavery is to show up and support survivors like Mende.
Slave: A Question of Freedom (age recommendation 9+) is at Tobacco Factory Theatres on October 16-19 at 7pm, with additional 2pm matinee shows on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are available at www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
An Anti-Slavery Symposium: ‘Experts by Experience’ will take place on Thursday at 12pm.
Follow @feelgoodtheatreproductions for more information.
All photos: Feelgood Theatre Productions
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