Nyoni’s new play is a powerful ode to the activists who fought to liberate Africa
‘Liberation’, written by Ntombizodwa Nyoni and directed by Monique Touko, is a stirring piece of new writing telling the true story of the Fifth Pan-African Congress that took place in October 1945, in Manchester. Focussing on themes of mentorship, identity and activism, the play deftly canonises the figures who fought to liberate Africa.
Nyoni characterises the path to liberation as one littered with conflicting egos, stakes and personalities. The characters are simultaneously venerated and criticised, creating a truly holistic depiction of the event. The ensemble is, on the whole, strong: Eamonn Walker is particularly standout as George Padmore, and Leonie Elliott fizzes with ambition and resentment as Alma La Badie. There are also moments of unexpected but welcome humour, particularly fostered by Pamela Nomvete as Amy Ashwood-Garvey and Rudolphe Mdlongwa as Makumalo Hlubi.
The play is certainly dense, and assumes a fair amount of prior knowledge about the Fifth Pan African Congress from its audiences. It is not handholding, or a how-to guide — it drops you immediately in the action from the first minute, with little exposition or world building. But in a play that is so wordy, this pace is welcome. Touko’s direction shone in this aspect, creating a real sense of pace and rhythm that kept the script from feeling stagnant.
In my opinion, this play is just what the Royal Exchange needs. The real life Congress took place just a few miles away in a town hall in Chorlton-on-Medlock, and it felt incredibly pertinent therefore that the play debuted at one of Manchester’s leading theatres, as part of the Manchester International Festival. The in the round nature of the theatre lends itself perfectly to the set up of the conference, with the audience being able to see each other to create a communal viewing effect. Though the auditorium was packed, the experience felt intimate and intense, like we were at the conference ourselves. Paul Wills’ simple but effective set design also contributes well to this, with parquet flooring arranged into octagons evoking the Mancunian worker bee symbols.
Overall, ‘Liberation’ confronts Manchester with a key piece of history of which perhaps many of its residents were previously unaware. Nyoni covers the event with nuance and care, breathing much needed life into characters otherwise mired in history, in all their complexities.