Samuel Takes A Break – New Play
In the courtyard of Ghana’s Cape Coast, once a slave castle, Samuel greets us for the first tour of the day. Over three million Ghanaians were held here before being shipped across the Atlantic. Now, it’s a tourist spot for Ghana’s “Year of Return” initiative. Samuel, our guide, is eager to share the castle’s history. “I love this job,” he declares.
However, this tour is no leisurely vacation. “Samuel Takes a Break…In Male Dungeon No 5 After a Long But Generally Successful Day of Tours” by Rhianna Ilube dives into the dark tourism industry. Ilube delves into colonialism’s impact on British identity, questioning how to preserve the past’s horrors. “We don’t like the word slave here,” Samuel tells his guests. The narrative occasionally veers into polemic, but Ilube’s writing keeps us engaged, stirring emotions and reminding us of the castle’s grim past.
British tourists Letty and Trev seek self-discovery on their pilgrimage. Letty, mixed-race, aims to reconnect with her roots: “This is where it all started,” she reflects. As the tourists and even ticket booth worker Orange fail to grasp the site’s oppressive history, Samuel struggles.
Anthony Simpson-Pike’s production intertwines history with the present. Shadows of yesterday haunt the theatre’s back walls, a reminder of the castle’s past. Short interludes delve into Samuel’s psyche, evoking visceral reactions. Fode Simbo embodies Samuel with lyrical intensity, conveying his inner turmoil. As tensions rise, Ilube’s writing urges us to anticipate Samuel’s breaking point.
Press Quotes
‘Audacious… a superb satire on atrocity tourism and the legacy of slavery… Rhianna Ilube’s play is as outrageous as it sounds… broad comedy lurches suddenly into deep meditations on the reality and the destructive legacy of colonialism… fresh and fascinating’ Time Out
‘A forensic cross-examination of the dark tourism industry. Ilube digs deep into colonialism’s impact on British identity and asks, poignantly, how we are supposed to preserve the horrors of the past… Ilube’s writing makes you shake, laugh and not for one second forget the castle’s past’ Guardian
‘A sharply funny look at the reverberation of colonialism into the present day… humour shaded with insight and empathy’ The Stage ‘A hilarious but unflinching look at complex issues around colonialism and lost identity… unmissable’ Theatre Weekly
