A clique of Caribbean maroon warrior women, a general of Haiti and his right hand man, an ex enslaved couple reclaiming their land, a group of Black French Caribbean soldiers held captive in Portchester and their wives travelling across the Atlantic to be reunited with them.
These are The Ancestors manifesting in our world, in the hopes we can stop history repeating itself, but do we really hold the key? What dark forces are still currently at play?
The Ancestors was originally written as a site-specific outdoor promenade theatre production exploring the voices of Black revolutionaries that history has continued to silence through the grounds of Portchester Castle. It was adapted into a filmed performance following an outbreak of COVID-19 in the company in summer 2021.
The production is designed by Libby Todd, with movement direction by Sara Dos Santos, music by composer Romarna Campbell, sound design by Munotida Chinyanga, dramaturgy by Gail Babb and Assistant Directors Anna Chauri Phillips and Udoka Maya.
Production Information
Cast
Guede Iya - Jessica Manu
Esme - Junely Coker
Antoinette - Tolú Fagbayi
Clem - Keletso Kesupile
Breffu - Rebecca Daniel
Flore - Hana Jennings
Abigail - Thuliswa Magwaza
Florence, Someone 1, Black - Axelle Laurent
Young Son - George King
Guard, Prison Officer, Massa - Harrison Tipping&
Massa’s wife - Rosa Simonet
Lily, Youngest daughter - Nina Macpherson
Eldest Daughter - Emily Evans
Toussaint L’Ouvreture - Gael Mfula
André Rigoud - Jez Davess-Humphrey
Camerin, Somebody 2 - Jarmani Lee
Angelica - Evan Walker
Francis - Alexandre King
Dominic Sharkey - Thomas
Sebastian, Old Black Servant - Dalumuzi Moyo
Maurice - Oliver Samuel
Louis - Zac Looker
Ship Women:-
Morayo Adeagbo
Assa Kanoute
Christian Neal
Niastra Parsons
Paryce Richards
Alyssa Sibanda
Creative Team
Writer - Lakesha Arie-Angelo
Director - Jade Lewis
Production and Costumer Designer - Libby Todd
Movement Director - Sara Dos Santos
Composer & Sound Designer - Romarna Campbell
Additional Sound Design - Will Berger
Post Production - Black Apron Entertainment
Dramaturg - Gail Babb
Director Of Photography & Film Lead - Jay Jones & Phoebe Fleming
Sound Recordist - Nathan Powell
Camera Operator - Isaac Morrison
Costumer Supervisor - Nicole Garbett
Production Manager - Jack Greenyer
Technical Manager - Sean Laing
Company Stage Manager - Marina Dunford
Stage Manager - Ruth Collett
Assistant Director - Udoka Maya Okonkwo
Assistant Director - Anna Chauri Phillips
Deputy Stage Manager - Odette Robertson
Assistant Stage Manager - George Ruston
Costume Assistant & Dresser- Imogen Mason
Costume Assistant - Molly Tackleberry
Wardrobe Manager - Rebecca Cartwright
Wardrobe Manager - Naomi Gibbs
Make-Up Artist- Megan Burke
Covid Safety Officer - Tom McLean-Smith
Production Runner - Callum Hallett
Participation Assistant - Asiyah Sadak
Creative Producer for NYT - Anna Niland
National Youth Theatre Team - www.nyt.org.uk/team
R&D Director - Mumba Dodwell
R&D Sound Associate - Elaine Mitchener MBE
Sound Installation Munotida Chinyanga and Gabrielle Ngoo
University of Warwick Academic Researchers - Professor Katherine Astbury and Abigail Coppins
With thanks to Dominique Bouchard, Kirsty McCarrison & Amy Knight from English Heritage’s Shout Out Loud.
With Thanks To
The Ancestors is part of ‘Freedom and Revolution’, a Shout Out Loud initiative, and is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the David Toguri Bursary Fund. National Youth Theatre are grateful to their principal supporters Arts Council England, the Culture Recovery Fund and to Playful Productions for their support of The Ancestors. The research and development for The Ancestors has been supported by Shout Out Loud and the University of Warwick.
National Youth Theatre and English Heritage would like to thank the following people and organisations for enabling the creation of this filmed production of The Ancestors: The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players; Arts and Humanities Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation; University of Warwick; The David Toguri Bursary Fund and Playful Productions.
We would also like to thank Arts Council England for their support of National Youth Theatre.
The Workshop Theatre
London, N7 6LW
