Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
Vicky Featherstone
Dates Performed
Tuesday 14th May 2019
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Play Details
Synopsis
A cargo ship traversing the Atlantic, its stark corridors and cramped cabins a modern echo of the slave ships that once plied these waters.
Selina Thompson, a young Black British woman, embarks on a harrowing journey tracing the transatlantic slave trade route from Europe to Africa to the Caribbean and back. As she grapples with the weight of history, racism, and her own identity, Thompson confronts the lingering traumas of slavery and colonialism that continue to shape the present.
Through a powerful blend of poetic monologue, ritual, and visceral performance, Salt excavates the painful legacies of the diaspora while seeking healing and connection. Thompson’s raw, unflinching narrative oscillates between moments of rage, despair, and unexpected beauty as she smashes salt rocks, performs libations, and communes with ancestors. The play’s innovative form mirrors the fractured, non-linear nature of generational trauma and the search for belonging, inviting audiences to bear witness to a deeply personal yet universally resonant exploration of race, identity, and historical memory.
Cast & Creative
Cast
Rochelle Rose
Designer
Katherina Radeva
Sound
Tanuja Amarasuriya
Producer
Emma Beverley
The First Journey
Selina Thompson shares the intense inspiration behind “Salt,” detailing the harrowing experience of crossing the Atlantic on a ship without natural light or internet.
How it came about
Selina Thompson reveals the inspiration behind Salt, exploring identity, migration, and the transatlantic slave trade’s legacy.
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