The cast of The Women of Llanrumney at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Photo credit Chuko Cribb.Elisabeth (Nia Roberts) the frivolous and shallow lady of the estate, is an unmarried, headstrong and independent descendent of Cardiff-born pirate and first Lieutenant Governor General of the island, Captain Henry Morgan whose portrait hangs on the wall of the dining room. The vast wealth which the notorious buccaneer acquired through plundering Spanish ships in the Caribbean, has largely been frittered away and now, a failed sugar cane crop means Elisabeth must attempt to secure funds or face ruin and an ignominious return to Wales from whence she arrived 20 years earlier.
Presenting as something of a Scarlett O’Hara figure, Elisabeth leans heavily on her housemaid, an indentured slave named Annie (Suzanne Packer) who spends much of the play trying to convince her own daughter Cerys (Shvorne Marks) that the relationship she enjoys with her mistress is more friend and confidente, than slave and owner, with extremely limited success.
The fourth cast member Matthew Gravelle plays a trinity of men, each of whom has a reason to be in contact with Elisabeth but none of whom manifests as kind, dependable or honest. Fiery tempered and initially dismissive of her dire circumstances, Elisabeth is quick to refuse Simon Taylor’s offer to sell her way out of debt by relinquishing title to Llanrumney and her estate. Later she agrees to sleep with Tommy Flynn one of her former indentured workers who since gaining his freedom, has made a success of himself and grown rich, but he humbles and humiliates her. Finally on learning of her dire circumstances, the ageing Mr Ainsworth calls to refute her desperate proclamations of love, knowing that she has already caused scandal through prostituting herself to Flynn. As all hope of a solution evaporates, she sells her assets including the most valuable, her slaves who are referred to as cattle in the inventory. Annie’s realisation that Elisabeth never intended to free her, culminates in a fiery exchange just as Cerys and the island’s slave population mount a revolution to overthrow their British Empire masters.
Directed by Patricia Logue, on a static period set by Stella-Jane Odoelam, each scene involves a table groaning under the weight of food. These are repeatedly laden and cleared, acting as a stark metaphor for the profligacy and wastefulness of white folks compared with their downtrodden and infinitely poorer black slave workers. The N and F words are used extensively throughout, reflective of both the period and situation.
Perhaps not entirely unexpected on press night (given the strong Welsh associations and the subject of Empire which is touched on in the play), was the sight of the wonderful Michael Sheen in the front of the dress circle, just a couple of seats from Ian McKellen. Good to see the East London venue pulling-in its quota of celebrity attendees.
