What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lamplighter
The Lamplighter takes us on a journey through the dark heart of slavery. Produced both as a radio and stage play, it also reads as a stirring and a multi-layered poem. Four women and one man tell the story of their lives through slavery, from the the fort, to the slave ship, through the middle passage, following life on the plantations, charting the growth of the British city and the industrial revolution. The Lamplighter focuses on parts of history other books rarely touch upon, revealing the devastating human cost of slavery for individual people. Constance has had to witness the sale of her own child; Mary has been beaten to an inch of her life; Black Harriot has had to become a high class whore; and our lead, the Lamplighter was sold twice into slavery from the ports in Bristol. All four very different voices tell their story, in a rousing chorus that speaks to the experiences of all those oppressed by the slave trade, lifting in the end to a soaring and rally conclusion. Radical and widely acclaimed when it was first staged, this groundbreaking play from one of our most beloved poets and writers, Jackie Kay, remains as urgent and daring to this day.
104 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2008
9 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Kay
106 books435 followersBorn in Glasgow in 1961 to a Scottish mother and a Nigerian father, Kay was adopted by a white couple, Helen and John Kay, as a baby. Brought up in Bishopbriggs, a Glasgow suburb, she has an older adopted brother, Maxwell as well as siblings by her adoptive parents.
Kay's adoptive father worked full-time for the Communist Party and stood for election as a Member of Parliament, and her adoptive mother was the secretary of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
Initially harbouring ambitions to be an actress, she decided to concentrate on writing after encouragement by Alasdair Gray. She studied English at the University of Stirling and her first book of poetry, the partially autobiographical The Adoption Papers, was published in 1991, and won the Saltire Society Scottish First Book Award. Her other awards include the 1994 Somerset Maugham Award for Other Lovers, and the Guardian Fiction Prize for Trumpet, based on the life of American jazz musician Billy Tipton, born Dorothy Tipton, who lived as a man for the last fifty years of her life.
Kay writes extensively stage, screen, and for children. In 2010 she published Red Dust Road, an account of her search for her birth parents, a white Scottish woman, and a Nigerian man. Her birth parents met when her father was a student at Aberdeen University and her mother was a nurse. Her drama The Lamplighter is an exploration of the Atlantic slave trade. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in March 2007 and published in poem form in 2008.
Jackie Kay became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on 17 June 2006. She is currently Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University. Kay lives in Manchester.
Jackie Kay was born and brought up in Scotland. THE ADOPTION PAPERS (Bloodaxe, 1991) won the Forward Prize, a Saltire prize and a Scottish Arts Council Prize. DARLING was a poetry book society choice. FIERE, her most recent collection of poems was shortlisted for the COSTA award. Her novel TRUMPET won the Guardian Fiction Award and was shortlisted for the IMPAC award. RED DUST ROAD, (Picador) won the Scottish Book of the Year Award, was shortlisted for the JR ACKERLEY prize and the LONDON BOOK AWARD. She was awarded an MBE in 2006, and made a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2002. Her book of stories WISH I WAS HERE won the Decibel British Book Award.
She also writes for children and her book RED CHERRY RED (Bloomsbury) won the CLYPE award. She has written extensively for stage and television. Her play MANCHESTER LINES produced by Manchester Library Theatre was on this year in Manchester. Her new book of short stories REALITY, REALITY was recently published by Picador. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University.
Kay's adoptive father worked full-time for the Communist Party and stood for election as a Member of Parliament, and her adoptive mother was the secretary of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
Initially harbouring ambitions to be an actress, she decided to concentrate on writing after encouragement by Alasdair Gray. She studied English at the University of Stirling and her first book of poetry, the partially autobiographical The Adoption Papers, was published in 1991, and won the Saltire Society Scottish First Book Award. Her other awards include the 1994 Somerset Maugham Award for Other Lovers, and the Guardian Fiction Prize for Trumpet, based on the life of American jazz musician Billy Tipton, born Dorothy Tipton, who lived as a man for the last fifty years of her life.
Kay writes extensively stage, screen, and for children. In 2010 she published Red Dust Road, an account of her search for her birth parents, a white Scottish woman, and a Nigerian man. Her birth parents met when her father was a student at Aberdeen University and her mother was a nurse. Her drama The Lamplighter is an exploration of the Atlantic slave trade. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in March 2007 and published in poem form in 2008.
Jackie Kay became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on 17 June 2006. She is currently Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University. Kay lives in Manchester.
Jackie Kay was born and brought up in Scotland. THE ADOPTION PAPERS (Bloodaxe, 1991) won the Forward Prize, a Saltire prize and a Scottish Arts Council Prize. DARLING was a poetry book society choice. FIERE, her most recent collection of poems was shortlisted for the COSTA award. Her novel TRUMPET won the Guardian Fiction Award and was shortlisted for the IMPAC award. RED DUST ROAD, (Picador) won the Scottish Book of the Year Award, was shortlisted for the JR ACKERLEY prize and the LONDON BOOK AWARD. She was awarded an MBE in 2006, and made a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2002. Her book of stories WISH I WAS HERE won the Decibel British Book Award.
She also writes for children and her book RED CHERRY RED (Bloomsbury) won the CLYPE award. She has written extensively for stage and television. Her play MANCHESTER LINES produced by Manchester Library Theatre was on this year in Manchester. Her new book of short stories REALITY, REALITY was recently published by Picador. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 15, 2020
This was amazing. It almost reads like a poetry play. Another term could be a choreopoem inspired by Ntozake Shange’s style. It truly feels this way because of how the voices and stories in this play all entwine. Every story and voice is unique from the other, but they also echo each other too. They echo each other’s suffering. It’s unanimous in a way I can’t describe, but individual at the same time too. There is an acknowledgement that while all the characters share and understand the pain of the slavery they are experiencing, they also understand that every person’s experience is personal to them. It was so heart breaking, disgusting and hard to read. I had to take pauses and breaks because my heart hurt so much. While it is a play, it also has such a lyrical, impeccable rhythm which is relentless. It works so well for the story it is telling. Oh, and make sure you read the introduction to this one because there’s a lot you can learn from it. I also think it does a good job of drawing the lines between capitalism and slavery, which is something a lot of people like to overlook.
This review and others can originally be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2020/1...
This review and others can originally be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2020/1...
July 8, 2020
The Lamplighter is one of those plays that doesn't need performing to have an impact: just reading through the script allows Kay's words to sing from the page, demanding to be heard. It has an inescapable rhythm that pulls you through, however painful you might find it.
The polyphonic narrative is intense but never disorienting. Kay picks out some vivid, personal scenes amongst the flood of words. I was particularly impressed with the way the characters' words are interwoven with history, in a way that is easy to follow even as we jump about in time and place. It's a poignant reminder of how British cities are bound up with the history of slavery.
The Lamplighter is an immensely powerful piece of writing, at once guttural and poetic.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
The polyphonic narrative is intense but never disorienting. Kay picks out some vivid, personal scenes amongst the flood of words. I was particularly impressed with the way the characters' words are interwoven with history, in a way that is easy to follow even as we jump about in time and place. It's a poignant reminder of how British cities are bound up with the history of slavery.
The Lamplighter is an immensely powerful piece of writing, at once guttural and poetic.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
June 2, 2021
Challenging radio play with great lyricism. Can feel like a long poem. Pushing forward Britain's role in the slave trade and channelling 4 women's voices as they chant, sing and yell to be heard. Obviously brutal but necessary.
August 5, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
- My story is the story of sugar. -
How do you adequately express how raw and sensitive and broken open this piece makes you feel? You can't. You simply let it happen. You simply shout from every rooftop to anyone willing to listen, that this script needs to be consumed in all forms of media. From the devastating truths that the 'Foreword' lays bare to the reader, to the emotions each character is forced to portray, this work proves its necessity. It's a beautiful pain that I want shared the world over because we NEED to talk about our dirty pasts.
Jackie Kay says it best when she said that "there can be no such thing as too many stories about slavery." The way that part of human history is swept under the rug is the reason much of the world is the way it is today. This is a good first step.
- My story is the story of sugar. -
How do you adequately express how raw and sensitive and broken open this piece makes you feel? You can't. You simply let it happen. You simply shout from every rooftop to anyone willing to listen, that this script needs to be consumed in all forms of media. From the devastating truths that the 'Foreword' lays bare to the reader, to the emotions each character is forced to portray, this work proves its necessity. It's a beautiful pain that I want shared the world over because we NEED to talk about our dirty pasts.
Jackie Kay says it best when she said that "there can be no such thing as too many stories about slavery." The way that part of human history is swept under the rug is the reason much of the world is the way it is today. This is a good first step.
November 14, 2020
Read this book in a day. As always, Jackie Kay just has a way with words I'll forever admire. The play is captivating, moving and so true. The anger seeps through every line and nestles so firmly in the reader - good, we need to be angry still!
August 9, 2020
First performed as a play and published in 2008, this is the updated version with a new introduction written by Jackie Kay, her words create a moving picture of the reality of slavery and her dismay and finding out that Glasgow was also a slave trading port. The play itself is powerful, her lyrical writing giving life to 4 different women who articulate the unspeakable realities of being slaves, from the perilous sea crossings to being at the whim of their captors and 'owners'. It is a sobering and moving read with the characteristic poeticism that we have come to expect from Jackie Kay. I imagine that it was incredibly powerful on stage which you can imagine from the way it is written.
With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
March 15, 2024
The Lamplighter is a very surreal account of slavery from four women that was written for the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade. Kay's story tells one I had never heard before: Slavery as the driving force behind the development of cities and industry in the United Kingdom and, more specifically, Scotland. I never before considered how the slave trade was fueled by and in turn fueled the UK. Most of my exposure to enslaved narratives regards slavery in North America. I learned a lot with this one, and it was a fast read as well.
March 17, 2024
I liked this play, however (because it's a play) it felt far more audio driven. I think I would have enjoyed the audio far more, and might look for that in order to experience it again.
March 27, 2024
Very powerful, wish the radio version of it was available though.
November 29, 2020
Some v v good scripted poetry, very educational without being dense and a helpful recommended further reading section at the back
October 19, 2021
“Anniversaries afford us a big noisy opportunity to try and remember what we should not have forgotten. But all of us who have ever loved know that it doesn’t take an anniversary of a death to remember our dead. And all of us who have ever loved know that the dead have a way of staying around; as long as we are still here loving and remembering, then in a sense they are too.”
I came across The Lamplighter whilst looking into literature in relation to black history but from a Scottish perspective. I read a lot of historical fiction based around race and the slave trade etc but it’s usually about the issues faced in America, maybe England but never here….
Now here’s the thing. I struggled to find much literature about black history in Scottish literature. That’s because we don’t have any issues with race right? HA!! WRONG! It was very frustrating- and that’s coming from a white woman btw so I can’t imagine how those of other races from our country must feel. History wiped under the carpet. Forgotten. Didn’t happen… as Jackie Kay says “ The plantation owner is never wearing a kilt”.
Jackie has written this as a love letter to her long forgotten ancestors and tells the story of four women- Black Harriet, Mary, Constance and The Lamplighter as they are dragged from their homes and families and transported in dirty ships to the other side of the world to work for the white man. All so we can have sugar in our tea and cakes…..
Originally a play, The Lamplighter is just as powerful in text. Raw, to the point, unflinching and honest account of how women like these would have been treated. Raped, battered, abused, starved, killed and maimed. Not to mention bred like livestock and sold to the highest bidder. Disgusting.
And yet in Glasgow, the city built on the slave trade still has these slave traders names on every street corner. Why? Why can’t we admit what these men done and remove their legacy from our streets. Show compassion to the millions of people who’s lives were lost and given up to make a profit.
1792 a petition was drawn to abolish slavery. 41 years later in 1833 the bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons. 41 years later….
Read it. And if you don’t put it down moved and angry, then you’re weird……
I came across The Lamplighter whilst looking into literature in relation to black history but from a Scottish perspective. I read a lot of historical fiction based around race and the slave trade etc but it’s usually about the issues faced in America, maybe England but never here….
Now here’s the thing. I struggled to find much literature about black history in Scottish literature. That’s because we don’t have any issues with race right? HA!! WRONG! It was very frustrating- and that’s coming from a white woman btw so I can’t imagine how those of other races from our country must feel. History wiped under the carpet. Forgotten. Didn’t happen… as Jackie Kay says “ The plantation owner is never wearing a kilt”.
Jackie has written this as a love letter to her long forgotten ancestors and tells the story of four women- Black Harriet, Mary, Constance and The Lamplighter as they are dragged from their homes and families and transported in dirty ships to the other side of the world to work for the white man. All so we can have sugar in our tea and cakes…..
Originally a play, The Lamplighter is just as powerful in text. Raw, to the point, unflinching and honest account of how women like these would have been treated. Raped, battered, abused, starved, killed and maimed. Not to mention bred like livestock and sold to the highest bidder. Disgusting.
And yet in Glasgow, the city built on the slave trade still has these slave traders names on every street corner. Why? Why can’t we admit what these men done and remove their legacy from our streets. Show compassion to the millions of people who’s lives were lost and given up to make a profit.
1792 a petition was drawn to abolish slavery. 41 years later in 1833 the bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons. 41 years later….
Read it. And if you don’t put it down moved and angry, then you’re weird……
June 27, 2020
The Lamplighter is a play about slavery and the slave trade first written and produced in 2007 and now published with a new introduction by Kay. It reads like a multi-voiced poem with a chorus and individual stories, as a few characters relate their own and others' experiences as slaves. Interweaved with this are, as Kay discusses in the introduction, details about British involvement in the slave trade and the way in which particular cities, including Glasgow, were deeply involved, and the book ends with a list of further reading to follow up on the stories and the events from the play.
This is a powerful way of both telling specific stories about slavery and getting across a sense of the wider realities of the slave trade, both in terms of human experience and the impact upon everyday things like food (particularly sugar) and cities. The repetition and use of the chorus is particularly effective in replicating voices and getting across scale, and you can almost hear it as you read, and hear parts read in different voices. The emotion really comes across and so does the important educational element, making points about what isn't taught in school curriculums and how the slave trade can't be separated from the growth of British cities and the industrial revolution. Even people who don't typically read plays should pick this one up, as the format allows Kay to tell these different stories in an approachable, moving way.
This is a powerful way of both telling specific stories about slavery and getting across a sense of the wider realities of the slave trade, both in terms of human experience and the impact upon everyday things like food (particularly sugar) and cities. The repetition and use of the chorus is particularly effective in replicating voices and getting across scale, and you can almost hear it as you read, and hear parts read in different voices. The emotion really comes across and so does the important educational element, making points about what isn't taught in school curriculums and how the slave trade can't be separated from the growth of British cities and the industrial revolution. Even people who don't typically read plays should pick this one up, as the format allows Kay to tell these different stories in an approachable, moving way.
September 10, 2020
I am still totally dumbfounded by anything I read about slavery & the way humans treated other humans. Devastating but a hugely important book.
August 15, 2023
30th May 2023:
Just finished reading this impactful piece of theatre for the third time. Composed of the narration of the (hi)story of four enslaved women (the Lamplighter, Black Harriot, Constance and Mary) through hundreds of years of slavery, The Lamplighter is a beautiful lyrical play that reads like a choral poem. Please go read it everyone!
"It's time that Scotland included the history of the plantations along-side the history of the Highland clearances. A people being cleared off their land, and taken from the Slave Coast, the Ivory Coast, the Guinea Coast … on a nightmare journey from Hell." (X)
PS, For the sake of my dissertation -and my mental health at this point of the semester-, I am hoping this will be my last reading of it this year!
Just finished reading this impactful piece of theatre for the third time. Composed of the narration of the (hi)story of four enslaved women (the Lamplighter, Black Harriot, Constance and Mary) through hundreds of years of slavery, The Lamplighter is a beautiful lyrical play that reads like a choral poem. Please go read it everyone!
"It's time that Scotland included the history of the plantations along-side the history of the Highland clearances. A people being cleared off their land, and taken from the Slave Coast, the Ivory Coast, the Guinea Coast … on a nightmare journey from Hell." (X)
PS, For the sake of my dissertation -and my mental health at this point of the semester-, I am hoping this will be my last reading of it this year!
August 15, 2020
This mesmerising play by Scottish Poet Makar, Jackie Kay, is an essential read for everyone, no matter how much you know, or think you know about Britain's slaving history.
Told through the experiences of four women and one man sold into slavery throughout their lives, Kay’s historical play is a masterpiece of collaborative vocal play.
Written in 2007, The Lamplighter was first performed as a play. The 2020 (dis)embodiment onto the white printed page screams for the importance of black writers, voices and histories, which we need more than ever. Instead of waving off acts of racism as something we will eventually unlearn, it is integral to the progression of society that we go back into history. Here we will begin to unpack the roots of racism in our society and the inherent and insidious nature of white privilege, for example.
Slavery, the ‘greatest practical evil that ever has afflicted’ us was created by us. Us, we, you, me, I have a responsibility to understand the brutal legacy of slavery that has shaped the country I live in. The cities I love: Liverpool, London, Bristol my home, were built with money that drips red, soaked with the suffering of slaves.
The Lamplighter’s language is infinite. Taking nursery rhymes and beloved literature, spattering the text with poetic refrains to show that this history will go on and on. It can never be forgotten, and it can never be untold.
The fact that ‘Bristol alone shipped 160,950 Africans to the sugar plantation’ is a bitter pill to swallow. Kay’s style tells you to be uncomfortable with that taste as you read of the filthy inhuman acts that occurred. Real histories are woven through the voices of these fictional characters who remember the thick air or the final injustice of the unmarked sea grave. Zong.
Slave narratives have been presented to readers since the 18th century, including titles such as The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano or The History of Mary Prince. However, unlike these detailed autobiographical texts, Kay gives us a history that can be emotionally absorbed in a matter of hours. Her short play packs in so much.
From historical fact to abstracted emotion, reading this honest and powerful narrative is one way to ensure you will continue to play a role in understanding a history that, no matter how many centuries on, is integral to understanding modern society, and the role we must all play.
Told through the experiences of four women and one man sold into slavery throughout their lives, Kay’s historical play is a masterpiece of collaborative vocal play.
Written in 2007, The Lamplighter was first performed as a play. The 2020 (dis)embodiment onto the white printed page screams for the importance of black writers, voices and histories, which we need more than ever. Instead of waving off acts of racism as something we will eventually unlearn, it is integral to the progression of society that we go back into history. Here we will begin to unpack the roots of racism in our society and the inherent and insidious nature of white privilege, for example.
Slavery, the ‘greatest practical evil that ever has afflicted’ us was created by us. Us, we, you, me, I have a responsibility to understand the brutal legacy of slavery that has shaped the country I live in. The cities I love: Liverpool, London, Bristol my home, were built with money that drips red, soaked with the suffering of slaves.
The Lamplighter’s language is infinite. Taking nursery rhymes and beloved literature, spattering the text with poetic refrains to show that this history will go on and on. It can never be forgotten, and it can never be untold.
The fact that ‘Bristol alone shipped 160,950 Africans to the sugar plantation’ is a bitter pill to swallow. Kay’s style tells you to be uncomfortable with that taste as you read of the filthy inhuman acts that occurred. Real histories are woven through the voices of these fictional characters who remember the thick air or the final injustice of the unmarked sea grave. Zong.
Slave narratives have been presented to readers since the 18th century, including titles such as The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano or The History of Mary Prince. However, unlike these detailed autobiographical texts, Kay gives us a history that can be emotionally absorbed in a matter of hours. Her short play packs in so much.
From historical fact to abstracted emotion, reading this honest and powerful narrative is one way to ensure you will continue to play a role in understanding a history that, no matter how many centuries on, is integral to understanding modern society, and the role we must all play.
September 29, 2020
The Lamplighter is the story of slavery, portrayed in a work that reads as a lyrical, mesmerising poem and has been performed both as radio and stage plays. Taking the stories of 5 slaves; four women and one man, here is presented the story of the slave trade. Through a fragmented and tortured narrative we move from the slave forts in Africa, to the slave ships, to Britain and finally the plantations. Through each stage we follow their story.
With a unique rhythm and song, the stark realities of the slave trade and most importantly it’s legacy are presented. This is a collective chorus of loss, shared experiences and histories, there is a sense of one terrifying, appalling, overwhelming story. And yet it is compiled and defined by individual tales.
The power of the collective chorus does not diminish Aniwaa’s experiences as an 11 year, ripped from her family, alone and frightened in a slave pit. Or Mary’s beatings. Or Black Harriot’s life of selling her body to only half survive. These stories, presented as part of a larger whole are a powerful and dark swelling song.
There is a consistent sense of fragmentation to be found here a nonlinear narrative that is allowed to repeat in a dark cycle. The refrain often repeated; ‘I remember, I forget’ gets to the heart of the message. This is the story of not just the past, but how slavery has and continues to affect society today.
Here is the legacy of slavery. From the smell of the slave ships, two days out of dock, to the wealth this trade created, Jackie Kay places this legacy firmly on British soil. Heralded by list of transactions and place names, descriptions of slave markets in Bristol, Liverpool or Glasgow; there is no escaping the fact that this is a British legacy. It is part of the fabric on which our society is built. The wealth it created are the shoulders on which our civilisation, ( and you will question that word, I guarantee) has risen . We could pull down a hundred statues and we won’t change that history. That we can’t alter this legacy is indisputable, but we must acknowledge it, own it and learn from it.
Is this an easy read? Or course it’s not. Is it essential? Absolutely.
With a unique rhythm and song, the stark realities of the slave trade and most importantly it’s legacy are presented. This is a collective chorus of loss, shared experiences and histories, there is a sense of one terrifying, appalling, overwhelming story. And yet it is compiled and defined by individual tales.
The power of the collective chorus does not diminish Aniwaa’s experiences as an 11 year, ripped from her family, alone and frightened in a slave pit. Or Mary’s beatings. Or Black Harriot’s life of selling her body to only half survive. These stories, presented as part of a larger whole are a powerful and dark swelling song.
There is a consistent sense of fragmentation to be found here a nonlinear narrative that is allowed to repeat in a dark cycle. The refrain often repeated; ‘I remember, I forget’ gets to the heart of the message. This is the story of not just the past, but how slavery has and continues to affect society today.
Here is the legacy of slavery. From the smell of the slave ships, two days out of dock, to the wealth this trade created, Jackie Kay places this legacy firmly on British soil. Heralded by list of transactions and place names, descriptions of slave markets in Bristol, Liverpool or Glasgow; there is no escaping the fact that this is a British legacy. It is part of the fabric on which our society is built. The wealth it created are the shoulders on which our civilisation, ( and you will question that word, I guarantee) has risen . We could pull down a hundred statues and we won’t change that history. That we can’t alter this legacy is indisputable, but we must acknowledge it, own it and learn from it.
Is this an easy read? Or course it’s not. Is it essential? Absolutely.
January 6, 2021
I have had reason to read a fair few choral plays. They are some of the most powerful because they inherently underline the communal experience in a reflective and politicised manner.
Modern plays rarely do this quite as cleverly, as profoundly as their ancient counterparts in my opinion.
The Lamplighters does it perfectly. Better. Astoundingly profoundly.
This is a short work exploring the British role in and beneficiaries of the slave trade. In particular the link between Scottish slave owners and Jamaican plantations is examined in a brutal, graphic, heartbreaking way.
The poetic ability of Jackie May is incredible. She melds fiction with lines that are pure fact. She has researched the accounts of Scottish slave owners and uses them accounts pointedly and somehow, unbelievably, lyrically.
The chorus throughout this play grows in power. Its voice is overwhelming by the end. It is such a powerful way of demanding that the ignored voice no longer remains unheard. As the play progresses, the individual voices of the slave women add up more and more strongly as they recount their experiences and speak as one. They drown out the slave owner. They speak over him and undercut his account of the same situation. They do not let you believe the detached reflections of the Scottish man and make you hear the emotional, traumatised and personal African voices.
Exceptional. Read this. Especially if you, like the author and myself, feel that your education was a little too effective in teaching you how wonderful the industrial revolution in Britain was whilst simultaneously woefully, irresponsibly quiet and detached when teaching about the British role in the slave trade.
Modern plays rarely do this quite as cleverly, as profoundly as their ancient counterparts in my opinion.
The Lamplighters does it perfectly. Better. Astoundingly profoundly.
This is a short work exploring the British role in and beneficiaries of the slave trade. In particular the link between Scottish slave owners and Jamaican plantations is examined in a brutal, graphic, heartbreaking way.
The poetic ability of Jackie May is incredible. She melds fiction with lines that are pure fact. She has researched the accounts of Scottish slave owners and uses them accounts pointedly and somehow, unbelievably, lyrically.
The chorus throughout this play grows in power. Its voice is overwhelming by the end. It is such a powerful way of demanding that the ignored voice no longer remains unheard. As the play progresses, the individual voices of the slave women add up more and more strongly as they recount their experiences and speak as one. They drown out the slave owner. They speak over him and undercut his account of the same situation. They do not let you believe the detached reflections of the Scottish man and make you hear the emotional, traumatised and personal African voices.
Exceptional. Read this. Especially if you, like the author and myself, feel that your education was a little too effective in teaching you how wonderful the industrial revolution in Britain was whilst simultaneously woefully, irresponsibly quiet and detached when teaching about the British role in the slave trade.
August 2, 2020
Jackie Kay's "The Lamplighter" takes us on a journey through the dark heart of slavery. It is both a radio and stage play and a multi-layered epic poem.
Reading this I came to the same conclusion as the author, we don't talk about this in British History enough. Told beautifully and poetically, this play is an emotional story told by four women who were held in slavery and what happened to them when they were held. Sold and used like they weren't even people, this play highlights the plight of many through the stories of a few.
The repetition, the harking back to moments in the story and the ending of this story stays with you long after you have read it. These women send a message through the story of the strength and the power these women have to do what they must do to survive and what they would do to make sure they live. The story of Anniwaa threads throughout the play and makes for a stunning conclusion, as we see her story unfold throughout.
British history in school for me was world war one, world war two, actually that's about it, but we never talk about our history of colonialism and how we became the superpower that aligned itself in Europe in the first place. This play for me would be a good place to begin when it comes that history.
August 5, 2020
This is an incredible telling of the horrors and evils of slavery. Crafted from true accounts, intricately researched and hauntingly raw and honest. It is absolutely horrific to read, and incredibly sad, though that word doesn’t really cut it at all.
It’s so difficult to review, or give a star rating to a piece of work such as this one. It doesn’t feel right. It should simply be marked as important and essential reading.
I loved the way in which the story was shared between the main women - the idea that the individual story was also universal to each slave really came through. Often it felt more like a poetry reading with many voices, and at other times, it felt more like prose.
My only real criticism is the amount of repetition in this, which could sometimes feel somewhat gimmicky, but it also contributed to the feeling of the one story being several stories, so sometimes it made sense for lines to be repeated.
I thought this was an incredible play - the form of performance entirely brings the reader or audience into this story, or reality, in ways I haven’t experienced before. This needed to be written, and I’m so thankful that it was.
-
I received an ARC on NetGalley - all opinions are my own.
It’s so difficult to review, or give a star rating to a piece of work such as this one. It doesn’t feel right. It should simply be marked as important and essential reading.
I loved the way in which the story was shared between the main women - the idea that the individual story was also universal to each slave really came through. Often it felt more like a poetry reading with many voices, and at other times, it felt more like prose.
My only real criticism is the amount of repetition in this, which could sometimes feel somewhat gimmicky, but it also contributed to the feeling of the one story being several stories, so sometimes it made sense for lines to be repeated.
I thought this was an incredible play - the form of performance entirely brings the reader or audience into this story, or reality, in ways I haven’t experienced before. This needed to be written, and I’m so thankful that it was.
-
I received an ARC on NetGalley - all opinions are my own.
July 30, 2020
This is the text of a radio play written by Kay to explore Britain's part in the slave trade. It examines our complicity in slavery, and the hidden benefits we take for granted, often without understanding where they came from today. It specifically focuses on women's voices, amplifying their situation as mothers whose children are torn from their arms and sold on, and their rapes and use as sex objects as well as workers. It interweaves their experiences with facts and figures from the time that starkly underpin the emotion of the piece. I would love to have heard it as a radio play. The women's voices working like a Greek chorus, the interweaving of their experiences and the soundscapes which create richness and texture to the piece. It's a short piece but it is packed with information that is delivered in such an engaging way you want to know more. It is brilliant that there is a significant bibliography at the back, in case you want to read more. I loved this.
August 10, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with this copy of The Lamplighter .
I am always in awe when I read Jackie Kay's works. The power in them is undeniable and The Lamplighter is no exception. Technically, this is only a re-print but it comes with a brand new foreword by the playwright herself and in it, she refers directly to the times we're living in at the moment. About our COVID-19 situation, about how the topics of racism and slavery are still as important as they always were.
I was already deeply affected just by reading the foreword.
It did not prepare me at all for what I would be feeling during the play.
This play is so incredibly important, and especially in times of Black Lives Matter and where we are all educating ourselves on the past and learning how to become anti-racist.
This piece of theatre has the power to change people.
Please read it.
I am always in awe when I read Jackie Kay's works. The power in them is undeniable and The Lamplighter is no exception. Technically, this is only a re-print but it comes with a brand new foreword by the playwright herself and in it, she refers directly to the times we're living in at the moment. About our COVID-19 situation, about how the topics of racism and slavery are still as important as they always were.
I was already deeply affected just by reading the foreword.
It did not prepare me at all for what I would be feeling during the play.
This play is so incredibly important, and especially in times of Black Lives Matter and where we are all educating ourselves on the past and learning how to become anti-racist.
This piece of theatre has the power to change people.
Please read it.
July 27, 2020
Despite being unfamiliar with reading plays, I found myself fully immersed in this and felt very connected with the characters. The stories drawn from each character are offered with such emotion. The overarching chorus of slave voices, delivers lyrical, lilting storytelling. These personal stories are juxtaposed with Captains Log entries, where loss of slave lives was reported dryly in the same breath as weather conditions. It is impossible to read this without feeling deeply moved.
After reading this play, I searched BBC Sounds to look for the original radio production (no luck sadly) as i would love to hear it performed.
Originally drawn in by the beautiful cover art, this book delivers so much more and will stay with me for a long, long time. It would make a wonderful educational text.
Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for the opportunity to review this book.
After reading this play, I searched BBC Sounds to look for the original radio production (no luck sadly) as i would love to hear it performed.
Originally drawn in by the beautiful cover art, this book delivers so much more and will stay with me for a long, long time. It would make a wonderful educational text.
Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for the opportunity to review this book.
July 27, 2020
Despite being unfamiliar with reading plays, I found myself fully immersed in this and felt very connected with the characters. The stories drawn from each character are offered with such emotion. The overarching chorus of slave voices, delivers lyrical, lilting storytelling. These personal stories are juxtaposed with Captains Log entries, where loss of slave lives was reported dryly in the same breath as weather conditions. It is impossible to read this without feeling deeply moved.
After reading this play, I searched BBC Sounds to look for the original radio production (no luck sadly) as i would love to hear it performed.
Originally drawn in by the beautiful cover art, this book delivers so much more and will stay with me for a long, long time. It would make a wonderful educational text.
Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for the opportunity to review this book.
After reading this play, I searched BBC Sounds to look for the original radio production (no luck sadly) as i would love to hear it performed.
Originally drawn in by the beautiful cover art, this book delivers so much more and will stay with me for a long, long time. It would make a wonderful educational text.
Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for the opportunity to review this book.
November 27, 2020
I wish that I could fully put into words my love for this beautiful book, or play. It blew me away so much that I actually ended up re-reading straight after finishing the first time.
The Lamplighter takes us on a journey through the dark heart of slavery. Produced both as a radio and stage play, it also reads as a stirring and multi-layered poem. Four women and one man tell the story of their lives through slavery, from the fort to the slave ship, through the middle passage, following life on the plantations, charting the growth of the British city and the industrial revolution.
Quite frankly, this was nothing short of amazing. The introduction was beautifully written and I found it so interesting to read. Education on this topic is so so important, yet the curriculum still remains to fail with respect to educating people on how slavery has influenced British history. For example, I was horrified to read the parts about Glasgow and its role as a port for slave trading. The fact that I did not know this previously despite being supposedly taught about the "British Empire" exemplifies how unbalanced and biased the curriculum is.
We follow four very different characters who all managed to drive the same message home. Whilst they are all experiencing different things and their voices are so individual, yet they all seem to blend into one too - very clever writing!
If you haven't read this then I strongly encourage you to pick it up! It is a truly fantastic read, especially the introduction. Black history should 100% be compulsory on the curriculum as Black history IS British history.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The Lamplighter takes us on a journey through the dark heart of slavery. Produced both as a radio and stage play, it also reads as a stirring and multi-layered poem. Four women and one man tell the story of their lives through slavery, from the fort to the slave ship, through the middle passage, following life on the plantations, charting the growth of the British city and the industrial revolution.
Quite frankly, this was nothing short of amazing. The introduction was beautifully written and I found it so interesting to read. Education on this topic is so so important, yet the curriculum still remains to fail with respect to educating people on how slavery has influenced British history. For example, I was horrified to read the parts about Glasgow and its role as a port for slave trading. The fact that I did not know this previously despite being supposedly taught about the "British Empire" exemplifies how unbalanced and biased the curriculum is.
We follow four very different characters who all managed to drive the same message home. Whilst they are all experiencing different things and their voices are so individual, yet they all seem to blend into one too - very clever writing!
If you haven't read this then I strongly encourage you to pick it up! It is a truly fantastic read, especially the introduction. Black history should 100% be compulsory on the curriculum as Black history IS British history.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
August 24, 2020
I don't usually like reading plays, but I knew Jackie Kay wouldn't let me down.
Thank you to Book Break and Picador for sending me a copy of this book. All opinions my own.
While The Lamplighter is intended to be performed, it was a powerful experience on page, too. What on stage would be a group of women speaking became a chorus of voices on page, echoing around each other and telling their stories in poetic form. Brief at just 87 pages, this was a far more touching reading experience than some much longer books I've read.
Kay's preface to this new edition is also insightful, reflecting on the role of the UK and Scotland especially in slave trade (it was a key slave trading location, and much of the wealth in the country now can be traced back to this time).
Thank you to Book Break and Picador for sending me a copy of this book. All opinions my own.
While The Lamplighter is intended to be performed, it was a powerful experience on page, too. What on stage would be a group of women speaking became a chorus of voices on page, echoing around each other and telling their stories in poetic form. Brief at just 87 pages, this was a far more touching reading experience than some much longer books I've read.
Kay's preface to this new edition is also insightful, reflecting on the role of the UK and Scotland especially in slave trade (it was a key slave trading location, and much of the wealth in the country now can be traced back to this time).
July 11, 2023
Truly a touching and impactful work on slavery told through the eyes of women experiencing it firsthand and passing down their stories to future generations. This story teaches that slavery truly doesn’t just end with one law, one act, but even after “officially being ended” has its effects, direct or indirect that affected and still affect people of color today.
The way this play is written is so beautifully poetic and makes sure you understand what it wants you to understand and internalize. I wish I could/could have seen this play acted out, but I sadly haven’t yet found a way/platform to view it.
While certainly it does not conform to what you’d normally expect in a play, it’s very reasonable in length and i can only recommend checking it out and taking your time to appreciate it!
The way this play is written is so beautifully poetic and makes sure you understand what it wants you to understand and internalize. I wish I could/could have seen this play acted out, but I sadly haven’t yet found a way/platform to view it.
While certainly it does not conform to what you’d normally expect in a play, it’s very reasonable in length and i can only recommend checking it out and taking your time to appreciate it!
July 20, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this e-arc, in exchange for a honest review. The Lamplighter is a play about slavery and the slave trade.
The words of the play read like a poem off the page. The play is so well written you don’t need to watch a performance to feel how powerful, emotional and thought provoking this play is. I felt like I was stood in the theatre watching a private performance.
I will admit my knowledge and awareness of the slave trade is minimal. It’s not something I can remember being taught at school. I know that the slave trade existed, but have never read or researched the history. This book really opened my eyes, I was hooked from the first page. And I wanted to know more.
This book is a must read for all. It’s and important topic written in a captivating format, that kept me turning the page.
The words of the play read like a poem off the page. The play is so well written you don’t need to watch a performance to feel how powerful, emotional and thought provoking this play is. I felt like I was stood in the theatre watching a private performance.
I will admit my knowledge and awareness of the slave trade is minimal. It’s not something I can remember being taught at school. I know that the slave trade existed, but have never read or researched the history. This book really opened my eyes, I was hooked from the first page. And I wanted to know more.
This book is a must read for all. It’s and important topic written in a captivating format, that kept me turning the page.
June 22, 2020
This play is unbelievable to read on the page. The rhythm of Jackie Kay's writing propels you through the story, through both powerful and heart wrenching moments. Using short snappy, overlapping lines of dialogue, the characters describe their plight as victims of the slave trade. You hear about the horrific treatments they and their children suffered but also, it is highlighted how integral slavery was to the rise of Great Britain.
This is a must read and I will definitely be buying it for people I know. It's an important topic in a less widely read format and it was executed perfectly.
This is a must read and I will definitely be buying it for people I know. It's an important topic in a less widely read format and it was executed perfectly.
July 15, 2021
This is a really timely piece of work, given Black Lives Matters and related consciousness-raising. Having learned more about Scotland's role in slavery over the last year than I have I the rest of my lifetime, I was really looking forward to reading this play with slavery at its heart. It did not disappoint.
Poetic and rich in history, this merits reading more than once. I can only imagine it would be fantastic to see live. The multitude of voices would really come across clearly.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Poetic and rich in history, this merits reading more than once. I can only imagine it would be fantastic to see live. The multitude of voices would really come across clearly.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 27, 2023
"The Lamplighter" tackles Scotland and slavery. Also a radio play, this epic poem/play centers around Black women throughout history and their connections to Scotland. Scotland's and the rest of the world's profitable relationship with slavery is at the heart of this work. While it is hard to read (or listen to), it is of utmost importance that Scotland (and other places) face their colonial history and how they were complicit. 5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews