The Island

of Slaves

Written by Pierre Marivaux

Translated & Directed

by Neil Blackadder

Four survivors of a shipwreck – a gentleman and his valet, a lady and her maid – find themselves on an unusual island, occupied some years earlier by former slaves. When people get stranded here, they must switch roles: servants become masters, masters find out what it’s like to be servants. Marivaux’s play, which premiered in Paris in 1725, is at once an enchanting commedia dell’arte-inspired comedy and a resonant exploration of power relations. The director refined his own translation from the French (and the production approach) through a collaborative rehearsal process.