“To be free is very sweet”
SOLD is a Black Theatre, historical play that delves into the deep history of Britain’s Transatlantic Slave Trade and the impact it had across the world.
In light of the #icantbreathe and #blacklivesmatter campaigns, and the recent Windrush scandal, the uncomfortable legacy of transatlantic slavery lives on.
A forgotten story giving one woman’s first-hand account of brutality at the height of the slave trade. Powerful and entertaining, this true story is told with traditional African Griot storytelling fused with theatre, singing, music, poetry, drumming and dance.
Born into slavery in the British colony of Bermuda, Mary Prince went on to become an auto-biographer and champion of freedom. Her book had an electrifying effect on the abolitionist movement helping to free many Africans in bondage. Through theatre, song, music, drumming and dance, this masterpiece of Black British theatre is inspired by the storytelling traditions of the West African griot.
Age Suitability: 11+ (there are descriptions of beatings and punishments and a visual image of a noose on set)
SOLD has won several awards: Edinburgh Fringe Best Ensemble Musical Theatre Award 2019, Show of the week – week1 at VAULT 2020, Best Show at Birmingham Fest 2021 and most recently the Offies 2022 Best Lead Performance in a Play and Best Supporting Performance in a Play.
★★★★★ “Unique, moving and transcendent” – AskTheUshers
★★★★★ “Every so often there is a piece that touches the soul. SOLD is one such show” – Music Theatre Review
This performance is a Kuumba Nia Arts production – KNA was founded in 2009 to bring African and Caribbean peoples’ histories and contemporary stories to life. They celebrate and explore the black experience in all its shades, sharing universal stories through an Afro-Caribbean lens. They are an Oxford based company aiming to share African and Caribbean Heritage peoples histories and contemporary stories to life through theatre and film.
Running time: 1 hour full play + 20 minute Q&A which is an integral part of the performance and flows on seamlessly from the end of the show.
*A £1.50 booking fee applies per ticket when booking online and in person. The booking fee covers costs charged to the charity for the booking system and payment processing.
