The Women of Llanrumney
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
★★★★

PLAUDITS to Sherman Theatre for reprising its stunning piece of theatre about slavery and how Cardiff’s district of Llanrumney became the name of a slave plantation in Jamaica.

Azuka Oforka wrote The Women of Llanrumney after visiting Llanrumney Hall, which was believed to be the birthplace of Captain Henry Morgan, who became the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.

As is usual with many civic buildings in Britain, its connection with slavery was not mentioned, and Oforka was angry about this when she got an email from The Sherman asking for ideas for plays.

The result is a tour de force on stage by just four actors with Nia Roberts as plantation owner Elizabeth and her two slave house servants, Shvorne Marks as Cerys and Suzanne Packer as Annie. Completing the onstage quartet is Matthew Gravelle, who appears as three characters, Simon Taylor, Tommy Flynn and Mr Ainsworth.

Director Patricia Logue has all the action centred in the heart of the plantation’s dining room, where both slaves discuss whether they are better off as indoor servants and Annie’s delusion that she is the owner’s friend and confidant. The scenes between the two slaves are moving and tender as it emerges that Annie is Cerys’s mother and has managed to get her a job inside the house and away from the backbreaking work in the sugar fields.

But they argue about freedom, with Cerys adamant that a slave cannot be given freedom, and to be truly free, they have to seize it for themselves.

Of course, while everything is OK, the two, owner and slave, do seem to converse as equals until Elizabeth, a descendant of Captain Morgan, finds herself in financial difficulties. Her sugar crops are failing as the ground is diseased. With mounting debts, she is propositioned by Flynn to sleep with him, and he will loan her the £20,000 she needs.

Of course, he doesn’t pay her, and she viciously rebukes Annie for suggesting she slept with the wealthy Irish landowner.

Elizabeth reluctantly accepts a very low offer for the house, plantation and all the slaves, telling Annie she cannot take her back to England. As Annie implores her owner to release her from slavery, an enraged Elizabeth says there is nothing she can do to help.

But as the two argue, the sounds of a slave rebellion reaching the house see the tables turned as Elizabeth begs Annie to help her.

This is a tense and moving two-hour play vividly bringing to life the decadence and brutality of slave owners and their supposed genteel airs and graces.

The Sherman Theatre deserves plaudits for commissioning and bringing this play back to the stage in Cardiff for a second run.

Runs until May 17. Box Office 029 2064 6900, shermantheatre.com