Turning point in Pan-African history inspires Manchester International Festival play
An inspirational new play written by Ntombizodwa Nyoni for Manchester International Festival (MIF) explores a significant event in Black British history, the Pan-African Congress of 1945.
Running at the Royal Exchange Theatre as part of MIF from July 3 – 19, LIBERATION focuses on the private lives of the activists involved in the congress and their struggle to liberate their communities from colonialism.
Delegates came from all over the world to meet in Manchester, in a moment that is considered a turning point in the fight for African independence. Organised by the Trinidadian socialist George Padmore, the congress had three future African presidents in attendance and within two decades multiple African countries had won their independence.
Lecturer in Scriptwriting at Manchester Writing School, Ntombizodwa Nyoni, works in the very same building that the congress took place; Manchester Met’s Grosvenor Building, once the Chorlton-on-Medlock Town Hall.
Nyoni said: “The play takes place in this building, in All Saints Park and along Oxford Road, in a club called Cosmopolitan. Even just coming into work at the University, I feel like I’m retracing the steps of the people who were here.
“I really wanted to focus on who these people were. We now know of them as historical icons but they were simply men and women who wanted to change the world for the better. It’s the latter I leaned into. LIBERATION looks at the public speeches and the private moments where they laughed, drank, cried and were vulnerable.”
LIBERATION was commissioned by the Royal Exchange Theatre and is directed by Monique Touko. Nyoni spent over a year researching for the play. She added: “While doing the research I really discovered how pivotal Manchester was.
“When we talk about Black Activism, There is a monopolisation of the American civil rights movement. We learn of it in schools. But we also need to look at the British landscape and contributors. At the congress, there were people here from across the commonwealth; Africans, Caribbeans, South Asians who took part in conversations and gave their support. And it all took place in Manchester which had a strong black trade union presence.”
“Even if you don’t know much about Pan-Africanism or these historical figures, there is still something you can gain from the performance. LIBERATION is a play about community and activism . We’re living in a time where speaking up against injustice, being an activist , being an artist and protesting is seen as a criminal act rather than the civil right.
“Writing this play made me ask more questions my own activism and how I take care of myself throughout the process. How do you sustain that activist spirit? What is the cost of being an activist, and how do we show up for each other?”
Nyoni has previously seen major success with theatre, TV, film, radio and opera. She has made several short films with the BBC, including The Ancestors which was chosen to be screened by the Black Film Festival in LA.
She has also worked as a scriptwriter for Netflix’s spin-off series, the cult-classic: CASTLEVANIA:NOCTURE. Her plays have won multiple awards, have been produced across Europe, Africa and the USA and are published by Bloomsbury.
LIBERATION premieres at Manchester International Festival 2025 and includes composition by Ife Ogunjobi from the Brit Award-winning Ezra Collective. It runs from July 3 – 19 at the Royal Exchange Theatre.
