The Whip

A provocative new play by Juliet Gilkes Romero confronting the personal and political costs of the slave trade.

Winner of the 2020 Alfred Fagon Award.

As the 19th Century dawns in London, politicians of all parties gather to abolish the slave trade once and for all.

But the price of freedom turns out to be a multi-billion pound bailout for slave owners rather than those enslaved.

As morality and cunning compete amongst men thirsty for power, two women navigate their way to the true seat of political influence, challenging members of parliament who dare deny them their say.

In this provocative new play by Juliet Gilkes Romero, the personal collides with the political to ask, what is the right thing to do and how much must it cost?