Blackbox ****

In 1849, Henry “Box” Brown successfully posted himself to Philadelphia in a wooden crate. This was no publicity stunt, however; it was a matter of life or death. This is his remarkable story, brought to us by Andy Jordan Productions & Hindsight Productions.

Brown had been born into slavery, a brutal era. Slaves were regarded as possessions, to be bought and sold…and mistreated. During the course of Blackbox, we are given a glimpse into the systematic abuse and torment of countless lives. Murder, rape, torture, beatings and whippings were commonplace.

The psychological torment cannot be understated either: having begged for and obtained permission to marry Nancy, Brown sees his wife and son sold. Families were cruelly separated as a matter of course.

Brown seized upon an audacious escape plan. He would enter a wooden box measuring just 3 feet x 2.5 feet, seeing it nailed shut with three tiny air holes for ventilation. The crate would be mailed from Virginia to Pennsylvania, a journey of 27 hours to be endured. There were myriad dangers: he could suffocate, or die from lack of water. The crate could be fatally dropped. His body may not survive the journey. Or, if anybody had opened the box, it would most likely result in a terrible death.

However, Brown came through the ordeal and became a keynote abolitionist speaker, as well as a performer.

Josiah Alpher plays Brown and other characters. Jada Evelyn Ramsey plays various roles, including magician’s assistant and Nancy. They are both simply outstanding.

Alpher conveys the seismic impact of the systematic inhumanity suffered at the hands of slavery. His performance is nuanced and often captivating. He comes alive as the preacher Nat Turner. Ramsey’s beautiful singing acts as a counterpoint to the preacher’s startling performative display.

Ramsey flits from one role to another with aplomb. As the assistant she glides the stage, the superficiality of the role being laid bare. In contrast, she conveys heart wrenching dignity as the brutal events of the era are revealed. Her stillness in these moments were a highlight.

Religious hypocrisy is a theme of the production. A series of slave owners purport to adhere to the good book, imploring their slaves to pray, while committing crimes against humanity. Contemporary events in the USA suggest that these lessons have not been learned. The owners systematically and cruelly keep liberty tantalisingly out of reach; perhaps this is how they managed to retain power for so long.

Did the slave owners have no moral code? Perhaps if you can come to regard people as objects, indifference to inhumanity will follow, one of the driving factors behind the Holocaust. As Ramsey notes “slaves are possessions – and possessions have no feelings”.

Blackbox is an ambitious production. It attempts to recount Brown’s story disguised as a magic show, blending different aspects of his life. It is this fusion that does not quite land though, the tricks arguably proving a distraction from the central message of the play.

This piece would benefit from a little reconstruction, but without a doubt there is an award-winning and spectacular production waiting to emerge. However, it is the breathtaking performances of Alpher and Ramsey which will live long in the memory.