Written by Lisa Codrington
Directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
Starring Alison Sealy-Smith
A Factory and Obsidian Theatre co-production
I taught you want tuh hear story about you muder? Come den an sit yuh Black ass down.
From the sun drenched cane fields of Barbados to the sub-zero temperatures of Winnipeg, Cast Iron follows Libya Atwell, a Bajan immigrant, as she wields acerbic wit and humour in an attempt to appease the ghosts of her past. Alone in her Winnipeg nursing home, Libya receives an unexpected visitor from Barbados. Past repression resurfaces, until the tragedy that shaped her life spills from her soul.
Reimagined as a live audio drama, Cast Iron is a rich story so vivid with the island, you’ll practically be able to see Libya’s legs flying through the cane fields, taste the bakes she’s cooked up in her grandmother’s cast iron, and feel the swell of the ripe and sticky breadfruit.
Transcription is available at all performances of Cast Iron.
Cast Iron is a binaural audio drama, meaning that directional sound is used during the performance. In order to get the full audio experience our team has created for you, we highly recommended all audience members use headphones during the performance.
Content Warning
Cast Iron contains adult content that some audience members may find disturbing – please see the content warning below for specific advisories.
This performance contains material that some audiences may find disturbing, including descriptions of sexual assault, violence and abortion. If you believe this content may be triggering for you, please take necessary action to protect your emotional well-being.
About the Playwright
Lisa Codrington
Lisa Codrington is an actor and writer based in Toronto. She has been nominated for the Governor General’s Award for Drama and is a recipient of the K.M. Hunter Theater Award and the Carol Bolt Award for Playwrights. Selected writing credits include The Prescription – 21 Black Futures (Obsidian/CBC) The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God (Shaw Festival, Karamu House); Up the Garden Path (Obsidian Theatre); The Aftermath (Groundswell Festival, Femfest); The Colony – Opera to Go (Tapestry); Cast Iron (Nightwood Theatre & Obsidian Theatre). Currently, Lisa is developing two new plays and is playwright in residence at Why Not Theatre.
About the Director
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
Mumbi is an acclaimed theatre creator and director raised in Kenya and Victoria, BC and based in Toronto. She is the Artistic Director of Obsidian Theatre, Canada’s leading creator for Black Art as well as Founder/Artistic director for the experimental theatre company IFT (It’s A Freedom Thing Theatre) Theatre. Recent directing credits 21 Black Futures for Obsidian/CBC Arts, Trout Stanley (Factory Theatre), The Brothers Size, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Soulpepper Theatre), and Oraltorio: A Theatrical Mixtape for Obsidian Theatre/Soulpepper.
Mumbi is also the recipient of many awards including a Dora Award, a Toronto Theatre Critics Award, a Pauline McGibbon Award and a Mallory Gilbert Protege Award.
