The Meaning of Zong
Bristol Old Vic

ANOTHER long awaited production rewards both Bristol’s commitment to the project and Giles Terera’s determination to tell this vital story that looks to the past to illuminate the present.

Although the barbaric details of the intentional drowning of 132 slaves in 1781 for the sake of an insurance claim has been the subject of various films and books, its savagery is often viewed in historical isolation or as an example of the worst horrors of the slave trade. Terara’s debut play has tried to show its relevance today, especially for black identities.

The connections across time are highlighted by the largely modern idiom used to explore the historical material and the contemporary bookshop setting that frames the action as well as some interactions having direct current parallels.