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1977

Return to my Native Land

Written by Aimé Cesaire

Play Details

Context

Artistic Director 
Stuart Burge

Original Language 
French

Translated By John Berger & Anna Bostock

Dates Performed

Monday 31st October 1977
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs

Play Details

Synopsis

“A Return to My Native Land” is a poignant and fervent poetic journey that delves into the soul of Aimé Césaire, a man torn between the lush, oppressive beauty of his native Martinique and the complex, painful legacy of colonialism. It is a powerful stream of consciousness where Césaire grapples with his identity as a black man in a world that has been deeply scarred by slavery and exploitation.

Through vivid imagery and potent language, Césaire takes the reader on an odyssey across the landscape of his homeland, painting scenes of its natural splendor while lamenting the social and psychological shackles that colonialism has imposed on its people. He invokes the struggles of his ancestors, the dissonance of his cultural heritage, and his personal quest for a sense of belonging and purpose.

Director(s)

John Russell Brown

Cast & Creative

Cast

Cy Grant

Translator

John Berger

Translator

Anna Bostock