New Recording of The Royal Shakespeare Company's THE WHIP Now Available- Join Their Special Listen-Along Event

The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Juliet Gilkes Romero's urgent and provocative play, The Whip - which places Britain's slave-owning past in the spotlight - is now available for audiences to listen to on YouTube in a new audio recording.

Check it out below!

The RSC is hosting a special listen-along event, open to all, which will take place on Thursday 11 February at 7pm, marking one year since the production's original press night at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Audiences are invited to listen to the play on YouTube whilst interacting with members of the production's creative team via the RSC on Twitter, @theRSC.

The original Royal Shakespeare Company stage production of The Whip premiered at the Swan Theatre in February 2020, but ended unexpectedly in March owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary closure of the Royal Shakespeare Company stages.

The Whip explores the human cost of the multi-billion slavery compensation bill, which contained provision for the financial compensation of slave owners - rather than of slaves themselves - by the British taxpayer, for the loss of their "property" following the abolition of the slave trade in 1833.

This new audio recording is commissioned by the RSC, and directed by Kimberley Sykes, director of the original stage production. It features the original cast, who recorded their parts at home, using whatever devices they could.

Kimberley Sykes said: "In March 2020 The Whip was brought to an early close as Covid-19 shut down UK theatres. As the events of 2020 began to unfold, we became even more aware of the power of this play and the appetite and need for it to be told urgently. And so in their rooms, using whatever devices they could get their hands on, the company created this audio recording to share with everyone. We added production images and original music and sound from the show to guide you through the story and immerse you in the world of the play.

"The ritual of going to the theatre is a thrilling and exciting experience. We can't bring you back in yet, but you can find a quiet room, turn off your phones, turn the lights down and let us take you to another time and place that tells us a lot about our own."

Juliet Gilkes Romero recently won the prestigious Alfred Fagon Best Play Award for The Whip. Her other stage work includes The Gift, a retelling of Medea filmed for Jermyn Street Theatre's 15 Heroines of Greek Tragedy season 2020; Day of The Living (RSC); and Upper Cut (Southwark Playhouse). Screen and audio work includes; Soon Gone; A Windrush Chronicle co-produced by Sir Lenny Henry's production company Douglas Road and the Young Vic Theatre, and One Hot Summer broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

The audio recording of The Whip includes Sound Design by Claire Windsor with music by Akintayo Akinbode. It will be available to access online via the RSC's official You Tube channel until 16 March 2021.

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