Bristol Old Vic have announced they will postpone The Meaning of Zong to 2022.
Giles Terera’s debut play was due to run from 11 September to 2 October 2021. It will now take place from 2 April to 7 May 2022 as a result of the current Covid climate. There will also be a live broadcast via digital theatre.
Artistic director Tom Morris said: “The combination of the Government’s failure to manage levels of COVID infection levels, their adherence to the rules of isolation until 16 August and the failure to release the prepared insurance scheme for theatres has made it impossible for us to create the show within its announced dates this September.”
The theatre’s executive director Charlotte Geeves said: “The impact of the “pingdemic” on rehearsal rooms across the country is seismic. At any point, half the company might be instructed to isolate for 10 days, interrupting rehearsals, delaying the show’s completion and increasing costs beyond recovery. Our commitment to deliver a stunning production of Giles’ play to live audiences in Bristol and all over the world is stronger than ever.”
The play is based on the true story of Olaudah Equiano and anti-slavery campaigner Granville Sharp, coming together to publicly condemn the massacre aboard the slave ship Zong. The event sparked the UK abolition movement, and The Meaning of Zong honours an individual’s power in initiating societal change.
Tickets go on sale 27 July. For those that have previously booked, e-tickets will be reissued before 31 July.
Words By Danielle Saunders.
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