Sugar And Spice

Directed by Hilary Westlake
Unity Theatre (5th-7th July 2007)

Reviewed by Alice Lenkiewicz

Sugar and Spice is an informative introduction to the horrors and greed of the transatlantic slave trade that took place over two hundred years ago. The show has been devised to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. An empty stage and six actresses and actors with ongoing film, sound and text, all express individual viewpoints bringing up important issues concerning the past, present and future. It is interesting to listen to the ways in which they all investigate this appalling industry.

I felt that the director Hilary Westlake had aimed to work on a play that allowed the audience to mentally participate in the debate of past and ongoing slave labour, allowing us to contemplate our way through historical Liverpool as one example, acknowledging and questioning its history of financial power and in what ways it is seen and not seen by many as a prosperous and successful city.

The play is an investigation into crimes of humanity that unfortunately still exist in our present day on a local, national and global level. Well worth seeing.

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