Through the Mud, written by Fringe First winner Apphia Campbell and a co-production from Stellar Quines and the Royal Lyceum, part of Made in Scotland, is a rousing call for justice. Two women from different eras recount how they fought for civil rights and against oppression in the USA.
Apphia Campbell plays Black Panther activist Assata Shakur from the 1970s, who was jailed for murder, and then escaped to Cuba. Assata’s autobiography becomes an inspiration for Ambrosia, played by Tinashe Warikandwa, from 1984 at the inception of the Black Lives Matter movement. The events are underscored by gospel, blues and original music sung with total passion by both actors.
A simple, strikingly lit set, containing simple wooden chairs and trunks, with sparing use of projected images, is used effectively, as the story switches back and forth between both women as they recount their growing involvement in direct action against state-sanctioned violence and persecution.
Assata’s story is particularly affecting, starting with the key event of their arrest and horrific shooting even as they held their arms up in surrender. The lyricism of the words as they describe these horrendous events stays with you, and is then heightened when re-visited later in the play.
Both actors command our attention with utter conviction and the beautifully sung songs that intersperse the action draw us ever deeper into their plight. Through the Mud uncomfortably exposed my own feeling of ‘white privilege’ at times, and perhaps setting it in America might have distanced us a little from the issues, thinking at least the UK is not this bad, but of course this is plainly untrue.0
On a few occasions, the sound level of the music drowned out the actors’ voices as they started to speak, something I’m sure will be ironed out over the run. Sitting by the noisy air conditioner did not help, especially during the quiet moments (my top tip, sit stage right).
Through the Mud brings to light an important black woman from history who I, shamefully, had never heard of, and skilfully draws the parallels with the modern-day struggle for civil rights. The script has such poetic intensity and exquisite music that it helps us through this challenging journey and we leave uplifted and hopeful the struggle will win out.
