The Octoroon

Available for over a year

Matthew Sweet is on stage at the Theatre Royal Stratford East for a post-performance discussion of The Octoroon, by Dion Boucicault, which can be heard on Sunday 5 May 2013 on Drama on 3. When it was first shown in 1859, the play sparked debates about the abolition of slavery and the role of theatre in politics. But The Octoroon is essentially a story of doomed love, and contains all the elements of great melodrama - murder, corruption, threatened poverty, a thwarted love affair and suicide. To further discuss the enduring appeal and legacy of the play, Matthew Sweet is joined by playwright Mark Ravenhill, who adapted the play for Radio 3; the cultural commentator Kit Davis; the Victorian theatre expert Anne Varty; and two of the cast members, Amaka Okafor and Golden Globe nominee Toby Jones.