'You do not know me yet but I am the heroine of this drama. I am told that here I must give a taste of what is to unfold. I am to convey that this tale is set in Jamaica during the last turbulent days of slavery and the early years of freedom.

'I am to say that it is a true and thrilling journey through that unsettled time.

'Cha, I say, what fuss-fuss. Come, let them just see it for themselves.'

The Long Song is adapted from Andrea Levy's award-winning novel by Suhayla El-Bushra. It premiered at Chichester Festival Theatre in October 2021, directed by Charlotte Gwinner.

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'[An] unblinking portrait of dignity amid moral horror... Suhayla El-Bushra's adaptation is a model of economy and fidelity... vivid and disturbing'

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'Scenes of rare power'

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'Bold, brilliant... phenomenal... Wherever it goes next, it's imperative it has a further life'

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'An excellent adaptation... a brilliant interpretation of the story that had the audience gripped and engrossed from beginning to end. The applause, cheers and standing ovation said it all'