The Meaning of Zong

Based on true historical events, Giles Terera’s boldly inventive debut play The Meaning of Zong is a story of our time, celebrating the power of the human spirit against adversity, and the journey of our past to understand our place in the world. Performed by an ensemble cast, joined on stage by Composer and Musical Director Sidiki Dembele, it serves as inspiration for how individual and collective action can drive unimaginable change. 

Two hundred years ago, Olaudah Equiano read the harrowing reports of a massacre aboard the slave ship Zong, where 132 Africans were thrown overboard. Joining forces with anti-slavery campaigner Granville Sharp to publicly condemn these actions, he helped set in motion events which led to the abolition movement in the UK.

But Olaudah’s mission goes beyond the courtroom. Having bought his own freedom, he now faces a personal battle to rediscover his past and accept his true self. 

Commissioned by Bristol Old Vic and the National Theatre, The Meaning of Zong was presented in a staged reading in 2018. The pandemic saw the planned 2020 production quickly reimagined as a radio play, aired on Radio 3 as part of the BBC’s ‘Lights Up’ season earlier this year.

Giles Terera is an acclaimed actor, musician, and filmmaker, who starred as Aaron Burr in the UK production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton – The Musical, for which he won the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.