Irish playwright, Dion Boucicault’s wrote The Octoroon in 1859. Adapting Thomas Mayne Reid‘s 1856 novel about the residents of a Louisiana plantation, it sparked debates about the abolition of slavery and the role of theatre in politics. In 2014, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins gave it a subversive contemporary reboot, fashioning what the New York Times called “the most eloquent statement on race in America today.” This whipsmart production of An Octoroon is laced with humour and razor-sharp commentary on race and society, ably anchored by some stellar cast performances. It is the sort 0f boat pushing programming we’ve been hankering for from our national theatre for some time.
until May 14 with 2pm matinees on Saturday
