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| Introduction |
| Overview |
| Contact Information |
| History |
| Equiano's Biography |
| Equiano's Marriage |
| Equiano's Family |
| Local Events |
| March of the Abolitionists |
| Marriage Re-enactment |
| Equiano's Daughter |
| An Improving Town |
| Celebrating Equiano |
| National Events |
| 100 Great Black Britons |
| African Snow |
| Amazing Grace |
| Royal Mail Stamps |
| The Extraordinary Equiano |
| The Equiano Project |
| Resources |
| Links |
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Books |
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Visits Since 01/01/2008 |
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'African
Snow'
Riding Lights
Theatre Company & York Theatre Royal
Written by Murray Watts
Directed by Paul Burbridge
Designed by Sean Cavanagh
Music by Ben Okafor
Lighting Design by Ben Cracknell
Movement by Clyde Bain
The Story
African Snow is the meeting of two men
– cast from opposite sides into the hell of the slave trade. The English
sailor, John Newton, is well-known as the converted slave-trader who
gave the world its most famous hymn Amazing Grace. But, as one might
expect from the quiet racism of the history books, less prominence is
given to Olaudah Equiano, whose extraordinary story has been confined to
a footnote or totally ignored.
Equiano’s ascent from the hell of a slave ship to become the leading
black voice in the British abolition campaign is one of the most
compelling and moving stories of any era. Both men survived to write
remarkable accounts of their experiences and were urged by Yorkshire MP
William Wilberforce to testify before parliament in the eighteenth
century campaign for abolition. Together, Equiano and Newton seem to
provide the most cogent argument in winning the political battle.
Is bringing them face to face beyond the scope of human reason? Can
victim and abuser ever be reconciled? African Snow takes us to the heart
of the human condition, to the place where two men are compelled to
confront one another.
'African Snow' Main Cast:-
Israel Oyelumade (Olaudah
Equiano)
Roger Alborough (John Newton)
Mensah Bediako (Equiano’s Father)
Emmanuella Cole (Equiano’s Mother)
Antonia Kemi Coker (Equiano’s Sister)
Chris Jack (William Wilberforce)
Rex Obano (Captain Michael Pascal)
Kenny Thompson (Slave/Sailor/British Naval Captain)
www.africansnow.com
www.myspace.com/africansnowuk
The Production Team Behind African Snow
African Snow is the first co-production between York theatre companies Riding Lights and York Theatre Royal. African Snow was originally commissioned and is supported by the Church Mission Society, founded in 1799 by representatives of the abolitionist movement including William Wilberforce.
