Revolutionaries are formed through the mud. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our freedom.
As England reels over its latest spate of racially-incited riots and anti-racism protests ramp up, Through the Mud could not be a timelier play to watch right now.
Through the Mud is written by Apphia Campbell, an award-winning African-American playwright, and directed by Caitlin Skinner, the artistic director of the Scottish feminist theatre company Stellar Quines. Utilising original songs and traditional gospel and blues sung live, this is powerful protest theatre about the Civil Rights movement in the US. It interweaves the story of Assata Shakur, a Black Panther activist in the 70s, with that of Ambrosia, a young woman caught up in the Ferguson, Missouri protests of 2019, after police shot and killed a black teenager.
Assata Shakur (played by Campbell) was arrested in 1973 after being shot by police during a Black Liberation Army shootout in New Jersey, in which a state trooper was killed. She was detained for four years while the court system tried to convict her of a string of charges including murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, bank robbery and kidnapping. She was acquitted on three charges acquitted, with three dismissed, but in 1977 she was convicted of the murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster and issued with a life sentence.
Forty-two years later, a young student called Ambrosia (played by Tinashe Warikandwa) is caught up in a Black Lives Matter protest over the murder of 18-year-old Mike Brown by a white police officer, which turns into a riot. Her friend Trey is manhandled by police and disappears. In her distress she steps onto the road to escape the crowd and try to find him and is immediately charged for jay walking and disorderly conduct by a police officer. She’s late to her court hearing and a warrant is issued for her arrest, incurring more charges. She’s broke, can’t afford to pay the mounting fines and goes into hiding.
These two stories highlight the systemic racism in the police system and show the myriad ways in which black people are set up to fail. As an Australian who’s worked in the Australian prison system, I can vouch for the fact that this is a global issue. Aboriginal people make up roughly 3.8% of the Australian population and a staggering 35% of the prison population. Many of my Aboriginal students in prison began their lives of crime as children living in poverty, stealing food to get through the day. As Assata states in in Through the Mud. ‘We are the victims and not the criminals.’
Read: Festival reviews: Drum, Failure Project, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Assata and Ambrosia’s stories are told with intense dramatic tension, offset with stunning gospel and blues songs. The performers harmonise exquisitely. There is a haunting version of ‘Young Blood’ that gave me goose bumps. The performances are incredibly powerful and carry the plot with a compelling intensity. The direction is polished, building an ever-growing momentum that leads to a stunning climax. Through the Mud is a rousing call to action and Campbell’s script is the most powerful and polemic voice I’ve witnessed at Fringe so far.
Through the Mud will be performed at Summerhall Main Hall until the 25 August 2024.
