Aphra Behn's Oroonoko
by Biyi Bandele-thomas
What readers are saying
Readers appreciate Biyi Bandele's adaptation of Oroonoko, particularly praising the depth and humor he adds to the characters. Many enjoyed the focus on Oroonoko's African origins, which enhances the emotional weight of the story. However, some found that the pacing suffers in the second half, feeling rushed compared to the first.
Synopsis
In 1688 the British writer and playwright Aphra Behn published her 'true history' called Oroonoko, or the Royal Slave.
It tells the story of an African prince, tricked into slavery and transported to the British colony of Surinam in South America.
Biyi Bandele has written a witty, thought-provoking play that is at once a celebration of Aphra Behn's humanist vision, a bold and irreverent re-interpretation of the three hundred year-old classic and a tragic love story that resounds with passion.
First performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at The Other Place, Stratford-on-Avon, in 1999.
(Cast 10m, 3f).
Publication
Aphra Behn's Oroonoko is a British play written by Biyi Bandele-thomas and published by AmberLane Press in London (2025).
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Buy Play
New Ed
AmberLane Press · 2025 · 146 pp
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