The Gift

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16 January 2020 · Follow on Stagedoor

“Sarah Bonetta Davies was a young African girl who was adopted by Queen Victoria and raised within palace circles. There is a second Sarah in Janice Okoh’s play - a contemporary young black woman staying with her husband and child in a Cheshire village. Past and present come together in a story of queenly tea parties, Empire, cross-racial adoption and cultural appropriation. Eclipse’s touring production heads all over the country after its London run.”

Overview

Brighton 1852. A day in the life of Sarah, an African girl, adopted by Queen Victoria and raised in the Queen’s circles. Today is the eve of her having to return to Africa but will she go?

The Present. A day in the life of Sarah, a black middle-class woman staying in a Cheshire village with her husband and small child. They are paid a visit by well-meaning neighbours who have something to confess…

The two Sarahs meet Queen Victoria for tea. This won’t be your regular tea party…

The fourth national tour born from Revolution Mix – an Eclipse movement that is spearheading the largest ever delivery of new Black British stories. The first Revolution Mix story was the sell-out production of Black Men Walking and the second, this year’s highly acclaimed Princess & The Hustler.

Age Recommendation: 12+