Azuka Oforka writes in the show’s programme about visiting Llanrumney Hall in Cardiff, “the supposed birthplace of Captain Henry Morgan”. The caption beneath his “grand portrait” read “Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica 1636–1688.”
Nowhere did it mention that he was a pirate who looted other countries and his own troops, owned a plantation of slaves and was responsible for keeping Jamaica a safe place for the brutal continuation of the slave trade. Just then, Azuka got a message from the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff suggesting a meeting “to discuss ideas for plays.” Thus emerged the first performance of The Women of Llanrumney in Cardiff.
The play opens and closes with black women slaves Annie (Suzanne Packer) and Cerys (Shvorne Marks), who are the play’s point of view. The four white characters exhibit the complacent, insensitive entitlement of a ruthless elite, though Nia Roberts as Elizabeth, the white owner of the plantation, does give her character a hefty, satiric presentation in contrast to the naturalism of other characters. Matthew Gravelle is impressively effective at playing all three male characters.
Annie is the daughter of a woman raped by the late master of the house. Her mother’s eventual resistance to the abuse resulted in her brutal murder. Annie survived as a house slave by making herself useful as a maid / houseworker and unofficial confidante of Elizabeth, a relative of Henry Morgan.
New to the role of house slave is Annie’s pregnant adult daughter Cerys, whose baby will be a saleable product when it is born. Annie tries to get her to be very careful, knowing how dangerous contact with whites can be, but Cerys has been mixing with rebels amongst the slaves and believes revolution is the way forward.
We first meet Elizabeth after a night on the tiles, whooping it up as the young, grand lady of plantation society. She has dedicated her life to having the freedom in Jamaica that is not open to her in Britain. It’s the life she would continue if not for the crop disease on her plantation, throwing that into doubt with a sudden unexpected loss of earnings. To make matters worse, she already owes the rich, white planter, Mr Aisworth, considerable sums of money he loaned her for an extravagant lifestyle.
Two alternative solutions emerge. In one, the rich planter Taylor offers to buy her plantation. On the other hand, the once indentured plantation worker Flynn offers her the money she needs in exchange for one night of sex.
All this could result in Annie and Cerys being sold off as part of the property or forced to work in the fields. But the mood of rebellion on the plantations is growing, and there will come a moment when the audience will cheer as one of the black women makes a gesture supporting action that might bring them freedom.
This confident production depicting strong female characters helps us celebrate International Women’s Month. It also, importantly, held press night on 25 March, the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. To mark the day, the United Nations General Secretary said to the General Assembly,
For more than four centuries, millions of Africans were kidnapped, trafficked, abused and dehumanized. This horrific enterprise rested on the destructive lie of white supremacy. And it saw many colonisers, corporations and institutions amass unimaginable wealth.
For too long, these unthinkable acts have remained unacknowledged, unspoken, and unaddressed, all as their legacies continue to shape our world. Many still benefit from the odious profits reaped from chattel slavery. Systemic racism has been embedded into institutions, cultures and legal and other systems… It is imperative to put in place reparatory justice frameworks that address this terrible history and its legacies.
Azuka Oforka’s The Women of Llanrumney helps in that process. Having seen the play, I shall contact Llanrumney Hall about its listing for Captain Henry Morgan.