Award-winning playwright Janice Okoh is back with another extraordinary play. Exploring topics regarding racial identity, cross-racial adoption and cultural appropriation, Okoh’s new play The Gift debuts at Theatre Royal Stratford East this month.
Based on the remarkable true story of Sarah Bonetta Davies, the plot will follow Sarah, a young African girl as she becomes adopted by Queen Victoria in 1862 and a second Sarah who grows up to become a modern-day Black middle-class woman living in Cheshire with her husband and a small child. As the play switches between 1862 and the present day, the two Sarahs are brought together when they meet the Queen for an unusual tea party.
Remarking on the play Okoh says, “I first heard the story of Sarah Bonetta Davies when I was at primary school, but for many years I wasn’t sure if it was actually true or not. As part of my research, I read personal diaries and journals kept by Queen Victoria and got a real insight into their incredible relationship. The theme of cross-racial adoption is a difficult subject to tackle, but the comedic elements of the play allow me to do this in a way that is playful, as well as thought-provoking. I also felt it was important to bring part of the story into the present day, as these are issues that are still relevant now.”
With the likes of Shannon Hayes (Years and Years), Dave Fishley (Bridget Jones’s Diary), Rebecca Charles (Doctors), Donna Berlin (Princess and the Hustler), Joanna Brookes (Pride and Prejudice) and Richard Teverson (Downton Abbey) also starring, this is definitely a play you won’t want to miss.
The Gift opens at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry on Saturday 18th January 2020 then embarks on a national tour across London (Theatre Royal Stratford East).
Click here for the full list of locations and tickets
