Olaudah Equiano is a figure of considerable significance in Black History, so anything that brings his story more fully into public consciousness ought to be applauded.
Back when this reviewer and the world were both somewhat younger, and Twelve Years a Slave had yet to hit the big screen big time, Equiano’s Travels and The Narrative of Frederick Douglass were both, courtesy of the admirable Penguin Publishers, virtually set texts on the Black experience of slavery.
Then, it was still possible to see that experience in black and white (the pun is intentional). For both good and ill, it has become more nuanced.
In any event, it’s good to see a young company tackling a part of Olaudah’s life, however short in terms of both its longevity and achievement.
What’s focussed on here is his life in Africa and enslavement. Few punches are pulled and the distress and degradation are palpable. Given the unsuitable (and for the severely disabled inaccessible) nature of the venue, one has to congratulate the cast on mostly rising above these limits.
However, despite the attempts at authenticity – the dialogue is a mix of (one presumes) Ibo and basic English – the piece as a whole fails to fully satisfy. The ending, with Olaudah suddenly transformed into the eloquent abolitionist is too much of a ‘with one bound Jack was free’ leap of time to take us anywhere comprehensible, clearly leaving not only this reviewer puzzled as to where we had come from and arrived at.
Olaudah’s story is a fascinating one, taking him from what is now Nigeria to Montserrat, on to a life where he trades on his own account, buys his freedom and himself trades in slaves before becoming a major figure in the abolition movement in the British Isles.
There is a case to be made and argument to be had that the emancipation of African slaves contributed to and paved the way for the partial (again, pun intended) empowerment of the British working and servant class, and, as Olaudah’s story suggests, that slavery and its abolition was never a black-and-white issue.
The Fringe is, thankfully, a place for exploration, experiment and one where people learn to fail better. One hopes Olaudah Equiano: The Enslaved African is merely the precursor of more to come. It’s certainly a story worthy of fuller exploration.
1-16 August at 19.05
Tickets range from £5 to £8