A new site-specific play inspired by Oxford’s history and the experiences of its Windrush generation will take audiences on a journey through the city this autumn.
When The Blackbird Sings, presented by the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities in collaboration with Creation Theatre, will have its world premiere on 23 September, running until 11 October.
Written by Natty Mark Samuels, Helen Eastman and Afsaneh Gray, and directed by Erica Whyman, the production has emerged from three years of creative collaboration with residents of Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys.
The story blends historical fact and fiction, beginning in the eighth century before moving through different periods of Oxford’s history and arriving in the 21st century. At its centre is Paulette, a Jamaican woman living in Oxford in 1966 who is determined to change the world.
Audiences will board a bus in Blackbird Leys and travel through Oxford as the story unfolds, encountering characters and events drawn from the city’s past. The production explores stories of sanctuary and protest and the experiences of people who came to Oxford and made the city their home.
The journey draws on the stories of figures including the founders of Oxfam and the first African-American Rhodes Scholar, alongside fictional characters and people whose histories have received less attention.
The production also reflects the experiences of the Windrush generation, with Paulette’s story inspired by the experiences of women who settled in Leys and across Oxford.
Whyman, who has served as Deputy and Acting Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has worked with the Blackbird and Greater Leys communities throughout the development of the production.
“It is an honour to be trusted with such powerful and often ignored stories,” Whyman said. “To make theatre which shifts the way we think about a place and about each other feels like important work.”
The production will be performed by a professional cast including Ella Afghani, Joseph Akubeze, Alex Ansdell, Lydia Danistan, Charlyne Francis, Tim Harker and Eloise Sheffield. A chorus of community volunteers will also take part, portraying suffragettes and nurses.
For Gray, who grew up in Oxford, the production has provided an opportunity to explore parts of the city’s history that are not always visible.
“Oxford is a fascinating city with so many interesting and hidden histories,” she said. “It’s been a real privilege to learn more about the city I grew up in, and to bring those stories to life through new and reimagined characters.”
Charlyne Francis, who plays Paulette, said the character was inspired by “the amazing stories of women in the Leys, Oxford and the Windrush generation”.
The production will take place mostly on a moving bus travelling through Oxford city centre, with a walking section of approximately 750 metres before the journey concludes at the Schwarzman Centre.
Rosie Kelly, senior producer for the Cultural Programme at the Schwarzman Centre, described the production as the culmination of three years of collaboration between the Blackbird and Greater Leys community, Whyman and the university.
“We are thrilled to see this work continue through When The Blackbird Sings, bringing the remarkable stories of Oxford’s people and history to audiences across the city,” she said.
Performances take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 6.30pm, Fridays at 11.00am and 6.30pm, and Sundays at 4.30pm.
Tickets are £27.50, with student and under-25 tickets from £10. OX4 residents can attend for £5, while essential companions are admitted free.
The production will include a captioned performance on 25 September at 11.00am and further captioned performances on 01 October at 6.30pm and 11 October at 4.30pm. A BSL-interpreted performance will take place on 09 October at 6.30pm.
When The Blackbird Sings runs from 23 September to 11 October at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, University of Oxford.
