Episode 1
In Conversation with Ade Solanke Part 1
“I was also inspired to tell the story of an African woman writer because it's still quite unusual to have a Black female protagonist at the center of a story.” - Ade Solanke
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“Phillis in London tells her incredible and poignant story. Based on her visit, it re-imagines and dramatises her experience as an African-American/British-American woman writer abroad, in Europe’s greatest capital city, at the height of the slave trade, on the cusp of the American Revolution. It unveils the hidden world of African-Caribbean Georgian Londoners living alongside white Georgians who teamed together as ‘her friends’ whose support helped her fight for freedom.
Prodigy, poet, and enslaved woman writer, Phillis set sail three times in her life. How did her ‘out-of-Africa’ and ‘out-of-America’ experiences transform her?” |
Watch the "Phillis in London" Trailer here!
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In this episode, Ade discusses her background and connection to the theater world and Phillis Wheatley. She dives into the difficulties (and successes) of translating Phillis’ life onto the stage as well as the delicate balance between sticking to historical facts while honoring creative craft. Join us!
“I do take lots of liberties. I introduce her to people she didn't really meet. I put her in locations she didn't really go to. I put words in her mouth, which I'm inventing. But I do stick to the truth of it all. I tamper with the facts, but I stick to the truth.” - Ade Solanke
“I do take lots of liberties. I introduce her to people she didn't really meet. I put her in locations she didn't really go to. I put words in her mouth, which I'm inventing. But I do stick to the truth of it all. I tamper with the facts, but I stick to the truth.” - Ade Solanke