Eclipsed, Gate Theatre

Eclipsed is part of the Gate Theatre’s Freedom Burning season, focusing on what happens to those without political influence in the aftermath of revolution. The show explores Liberia’s recent civil war and depicts the women captured within the rebel army. Effectively sex slaves, their situation is horrifying to read about, let alone witness on stage. However, this play explores the very different responses of the five women to their situation, the ways in which they seek freedom however they can. It is a surprisingly warm and funny play, with a caustic humour that cuts through the bleakness of the subject matter.

Zimbabwean-American playwright and actress Danai Gurira is best known for her role in TV drama The Walking Dead. But she has also written several well-received plays on similarly complex subjects (from AIDS to colonialism). We predict that this European premiere of Eclipsed will give her the renown she deserves across the Atlantic.