Ilube’s debut is a bold, enlightening piece that challenges audiences to reconsider the narratives we inherit and the ones we choose to perpetuate.

Set in Ghana’s Cape Coast Castle amidst the ‘Year of Return’ – a tourism board invitation for the diaspora to reconnect with their ancestral heritage – the audience assume the role of tourists visiting what was once a British colonial possession, and a grim waypoint on the transatlantic slave trade route. We’re led by seasoned tour guide Samuel (Simbo), who diligently adheres to his script, treating it almost as a sacred relic. Light-hearted jibes from the irresistibly likeable Orange (Akeju), the ticket officer, reveal a truth about the necessity of maintaining professional distance; the script is a safety net to prevent the past from consuming those who dare to recount it.

In knowing jest, the play exposes the tourists grotesquely cosplaying historical trauma, at times getting a bit too personal for our guide, pressing us to reconsider the idea of ‘blackness.’ After all, race is a construct, and the term can only take us so far before getting stuck. As the focus shifts to Trevor (Asante-Boateng) and Letty (Allen-Martin), a British couple whose visit extends beyond the usual hours, Samuel is caught off guard and finds himself off-script. In an eventful tour, horror and reality converge with Nairne’s lighting and Green’s video design, melding the physical with the spectral.

Simpson-Pike’s direction does well to pull together big knotty ideas and present them with depth and empathy. The commodification of historical suffering is thoughtfully addressed, acknowledging the importance of honouring the past and preserving evidence of atrocities; it cautions against being trapped by history. The legacy of those who suffered is not confined to their victimhood but lives on in the expanse of the African diaspora worldwide. Their stories, resilience, and contributions continue to shape our world, far beyond the confines of history’s darkest chapters. Samuel Takes A Break brilliantly weaves history and humanity into a narrative that challenges, and very much entertains.

Check out more from Yard Theatre| Find out more about Rhianna Ilube | Xana | Anthony Simpson-Pike
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