Five Years With The White Man

Embarking on a defiant journey from Sierra Leone to the ‘horrifying heart of whiteness’ in Edwardian London, Merriman-Labor wrestles with romantic ruin, financial catastrophe, and severe writers’ block to compose the first satirical ethnography of The White Man ever attempted. But when details of his intimate friendship with John Roberts spark rumours back in Freetown, he is faced with the impossible choice of exposure or oblivion. Before being delayed due to Covid precautions, the production was first scheduled for February 2022, to coincide with the republication of Merriman-Labor’s work by Penguin Press, in a series edited by Booker-winning novelist Bernardine Evaristo. The play itself will be published by Nick Hern Books as part of its Plays From VAULT 2023 collection.

Five Years With The White Man was developed through a process of research into Merriman-Labor’s extant writings, with the help of Sierra Leonean historian Professor Joseph J. Bangura, Merriman-Labor’s great nephew (Melbourne Garber), and his biographer (Danell Jones), to represent Edwardian Britain from the perspective of a British colonial subject. Unleash the Llama hope to shed light on the neglected history of this trailblazing figure who was an author, a pioneer in business (championing African suppliers) and a travelling lecturer, who embarked on a 1000-mile tour of Africa, delivering a satirical lecture on the behaviours of ‘The White Man’.

Co-writers Eloka Obi and Saul Boyer said “Five Years is a resurrection of Black British History that is as necessary as it is entertaining. Black British perspectives in history scarcely represent the rich diversity of Black British people, and we hope that this play will go a little way in helping that. VAULT Festival, in all its chaotic, exuberant creativity and diversity, is the perfect venue to reclaim a story that explores the intersection of LGBTQIA+ themes and the perspectives of People of Colour.”