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Small Island
Hope and humanity confront cold reality in three intricately connected stories: Hortense yearns for a new life away from rural Jamaica, Gilbert dreams of becoming a lawyer, and Queenie longs to escape her Lincolnshire roots.
Helen Edmundson’s stage adaptation of Andrea Levy's novel traces the tangled history of Jamaica and the UK throughout the Second World War until 1948 – the year HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury.
Helen Edmundson’s stage adaptation of Andrea Levy's novel traces the tangled history of Jamaica and the UK throughout the Second World War until 1948 – the year HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury.
136 pages, Paperback
Published April 17, 2020
19 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Helen Edmundson
33 books2 followersHelen Edmundson is a British playwright and screenwriter. She has won awards and critical acclaim both for her original writing and for her adaptations of various literary classics for the stage and screen.
Edmundson was born in Liverpool, in 1964. Most of her childhood was spent on the Wirral and in Chester. She studied Drama at Manchester University.
Edmundson was born in Liverpool, in 1964. Most of her childhood was spent on the Wirral and in Chester. She studied Drama at Manchester University.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 24, 2023
Andrea Levy really put the 'tense' in Hortense
June 27, 2025
Something I read for school as we’re teaching it next year to Y9 and whilst it’s a brilliant play I’m a bit apprehensive about how to teach this!
June 23, 2020
Stellar NT production that powerfully communicates the story of our Jamaican heroine as she plans and then moves to England as part of the Windrush migration; meanwhile, in London, Queenie gets hitched to a rather buttoned-up young man. Their stories inexorably move towards each other, while the men of the cast fight the war and gravitate towards the “motherland,” that is not as welcoming as it may first seem.
April 24, 2020
I should read more plays! They’re super quick and you can almost ‘watch’ the action in your head with all the stage directions.
Really enjoyed reading this script for the National Theatre production of Small Island, even though I never saw the play. A profound insight into Jamaican migration to the UK in the 20th century.
Really enjoyed reading this script for the National Theatre production of Small Island, even though I never saw the play. A profound insight into Jamaican migration to the UK in the 20th century.
March 20, 2022
A really great adaptation of the book! I preferred this to the book, as the timelines were easier to follow imo, but gutted that they missed out the comedy gold that is Gilbert and Hortense's wedding.
April 5, 2023
A really brilliant adaptation. I really like Hortense’s character and it felt like we went on a real journey with her. Didn’t love Queenie, but like Hortense, it was a proper journey. Both female leads had so much depth and really carried the narrative. Michael and Gilbert felt very secondary.
December 24, 2020
big fan !!! really enjoyed reading this. think its style is gorgeous, look forward to watching the NT live of it :)))
April 24, 2022
A riveting masterpiece that follows the story of Jamaicans settling in England, with the backdrop of WWII and Windrush.
This was truly a marvellous, compelling piece by playwright Helen Edmunson who adapted it based on the novel by Andrew Levy. The story was intrinsically heartfelt, providing escapist moments of humour at several points. She breathed life into each one of the characters, the heart of the story, continuously evoking pathos at the struggles of their journey. I particularly loved Gilbert, a hilarious Jamaican born who served in Britain’s RAF. We sympathised for him when the white people hurled racist insults at him, though he admirably remained steadfast against their nastiness. And whilst he was vocally expressive, another character who was equally as notable, yet did not utter a dime, was Arthur. Muted by shell shock, his character was beautifully crafted by his body language, actions and facial expressions. It was warming seeing him pick out flowers for Queenie, and devastating seeing his body erupting in response to any noise that reminded him of the bombs, even if it was just a doorbell.
I also really enjoyed the strong sense of place throughout this piece. We were continuously taken between the warm, vibrant locale of Jamaica, to the inclement, war-ridden setting of England. This was assisted through the seemless transitions of the set and time periods. It was also particularly noted through protagonist, Hortense, who starkly appeared incongruous to the setting of England after making her way from the Caribbean.
For me, this was an important piece that shed light from the Caribbeans’ perspectives in a way that we have not witnessed before. I read the play after watching the stage performance at the National Theatre a few days ago, as I was intrigued to see which director’s approach Rufus Norris used when physically staging this play. It was definitely a worshipful approach, as he kept all that was in Edmundson’s play script the same. But how he brought it to life through the visual spectacle, characterisation and scene transitions, is where honour is due to his vision. It was incredible! Hopefully this show returns because I would certainly love to see this again!
This was truly a marvellous, compelling piece by playwright Helen Edmunson who adapted it based on the novel by Andrew Levy. The story was intrinsically heartfelt, providing escapist moments of humour at several points. She breathed life into each one of the characters, the heart of the story, continuously evoking pathos at the struggles of their journey. I particularly loved Gilbert, a hilarious Jamaican born who served in Britain’s RAF. We sympathised for him when the white people hurled racist insults at him, though he admirably remained steadfast against their nastiness. And whilst he was vocally expressive, another character who was equally as notable, yet did not utter a dime, was Arthur. Muted by shell shock, his character was beautifully crafted by his body language, actions and facial expressions. It was warming seeing him pick out flowers for Queenie, and devastating seeing his body erupting in response to any noise that reminded him of the bombs, even if it was just a doorbell.
I also really enjoyed the strong sense of place throughout this piece. We were continuously taken between the warm, vibrant locale of Jamaica, to the inclement, war-ridden setting of England. This was assisted through the seemless transitions of the set and time periods. It was also particularly noted through protagonist, Hortense, who starkly appeared incongruous to the setting of England after making her way from the Caribbean.
For me, this was an important piece that shed light from the Caribbeans’ perspectives in a way that we have not witnessed before. I read the play after watching the stage performance at the National Theatre a few days ago, as I was intrigued to see which director’s approach Rufus Norris used when physically staging this play. It was definitely a worshipful approach, as he kept all that was in Edmundson’s play script the same. But how he brought it to life through the visual spectacle, characterisation and scene transitions, is where honour is due to his vision. It was incredible! Hopefully this show returns because I would certainly love to see this again!
September 5, 2021
Had to speed read for english homework but its actually really good. I got lost in the plot even though I was only reading dialogue and stage directions. I loved it
August 19, 2024
Miss Smith picked out another banger here (read it all in one day)
This play is genuinely amazing, it explores all sorts of complicated relationships, perception of home and dreams and it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be too much at once. The storyline is simple yet very fulfilling and all the characters are so real. Not polished and Hollywood and therefore not impossible to stand like in characters in some books. Additionally, it looks at the experience of people moving from rural Jamaica to Britain which is something I can’t say I’ve read much about.
Books and plays like this with intertwined stories are so lovely to read because there’s something so satisfying about it all. When characters pop up everywhere and you have a full circle sort of moment. Another brilliant thing about this was the parts set in London. If you know me you know I LOVE IT when things are set in London so that got me super excited.
The play really focused on reality vs dreams and wishes about things and that is always impactful to read about. Humans tend to get all dreamy so I think these sorts of stories always apply at various different scales.
I really want to see this on stage cause I can imagine it is absolutely amazing. Reading the stage directions was getting me all excited tbh cause it really rounds the story.
I would really really recommend this, I haven’t read the original novel but this is a short, enjoyable and truly beautiful read.
This play is genuinely amazing, it explores all sorts of complicated relationships, perception of home and dreams and it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be too much at once. The storyline is simple yet very fulfilling and all the characters are so real. Not polished and Hollywood and therefore not impossible to stand like in characters in some books. Additionally, it looks at the experience of people moving from rural Jamaica to Britain which is something I can’t say I’ve read much about.
Books and plays like this with intertwined stories are so lovely to read because there’s something so satisfying about it all. When characters pop up everywhere and you have a full circle sort of moment. Another brilliant thing about this was the parts set in London. If you know me you know I LOVE IT when things are set in London so that got me super excited.
The play really focused on reality vs dreams and wishes about things and that is always impactful to read about. Humans tend to get all dreamy so I think these sorts of stories always apply at various different scales.
I really want to see this on stage cause I can imagine it is absolutely amazing. Reading the stage directions was getting me all excited tbh cause it really rounds the story.
I would really really recommend this, I haven’t read the original novel but this is a short, enjoyable and truly beautiful read.
December 27, 2025
A refreshingly quick read, reading a script is a good break from prose!
I've not read the original but I'd watched a recorded performance of this adaptation from National Theatre a few years ago in school, as part of our topic on the Windrush generation.
I can vaguely remember a unique wooden frame that rotates in the centre of the stage to adapt to the different settings. I also remember the 'pathé-style' black and white shots in the background referred to in the stage directions. I do recommend watching a performance to really visualise the stage whilst reading all the lines of dialogue.
The plot is quite literally aligned with that of a soap opera so it might be too dramatised/on-the-nose for some, but it's enjoyable nonetheless, like satisfying a sweet tooth :)
PS thanks to the stranger who added their own annotations (in pencil), maybe this should be normalised for library books...
I've not read the original but I'd watched a recorded performance of this adaptation from National Theatre a few years ago in school, as part of our topic on the Windrush generation.
I can vaguely remember a unique wooden frame that rotates in the centre of the stage to adapt to the different settings. I also remember the 'pathé-style' black and white shots in the background referred to in the stage directions. I do recommend watching a performance to really visualise the stage whilst reading all the lines of dialogue.
The plot is quite literally aligned with that of a soap opera so it might be too dramatised/on-the-nose for some, but it's enjoyable nonetheless, like satisfying a sweet tooth :)
PS thanks to the stranger who added their own annotations (in pencil), maybe this should be normalised for library books...
June 9, 2023
Read for my day job. Lots to like. One thing I wasn't a fan of though was the Brechtian alienation effect employed throughout Act One.
I have to list keywords that can be used to discuss the play adaptation with students. Here's what I've come up with:
- Prejudice
- Emigration
- Interracial relationships
- Patois/ dialectical
- Progressive vs antiquated
- Institutionalised [racism]
- Non-linear narrative
- (In)equality
Am I missing any?
I have to list keywords that can be used to discuss the play adaptation with students. Here's what I've come up with:
- Prejudice
- Emigration
- Interracial relationships
- Patois/ dialectical
- Progressive vs antiquated
- Institutionalised [racism]
- Non-linear narrative
- (In)equality
Am I missing any?
January 30, 2023
This is a wonderful and poetic play that helped me walk in others shoes for a few hours. The intertwining of the characters lives were fascinating. It was a quick read. I hope to see it on stage one day.
Read
September 30, 2023University reading
December 20, 2025
A beautiful tale of inequality, disillusionment, and love, and is in parts a tragedy, a grieving of past hopes.
August 21, 2021
I absolutely love Andrea Levy’s original novel, so was excited to see how Helen Edmundson adapted it for the stage and it was honestly fantastic!
I thought the stage adaptation perfectly captured the emotions and conflict within each of the four main character’s lives, and the relationships between them were still depicted authentically and in the detail they deserved despite it being a condensed version of the story (especially Gilbert and Hortense ♥️).
On top of this, Edmundson does the original novel justice by focusing on those key moments that explore the ‘welcome’ received by the Windrush generation after their migration to the UK, which provides a necessary insight into race relations and the challenges, tensions and prejudices faced by so many both then and now.
Passionate, heartfelt and educational, I can’t wait to lead the teaching of this one to our Year 9s later this year!
I thought the stage adaptation perfectly captured the emotions and conflict within each of the four main character’s lives, and the relationships between them were still depicted authentically and in the detail they deserved despite it being a condensed version of the story (especially Gilbert and Hortense ♥️).
On top of this, Edmundson does the original novel justice by focusing on those key moments that explore the ‘welcome’ received by the Windrush generation after their migration to the UK, which provides a necessary insight into race relations and the challenges, tensions and prejudices faced by so many both then and now.
Passionate, heartfelt and educational, I can’t wait to lead the teaching of this one to our Year 9s later this year!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews