The Authenticator Review: A Witty Thriller on Slavery's Toxic Legacies
In a surprising twist, a story about enslavement legacies and erased Black histories is infused with comedy in Winsome Pinnock's ebullient drama, The Authenticator. Currently playing at the Dorfman theatre in London, this disarming production follows two Black academics tasked with authenticating the diaries of an 18th-century enslaver, blending thriller elements with sharp social commentary.
A Holmes and Watson Dynamic with Racial Intersections
The play centres on Abi, portrayed by Rakie Ayola, and Marva, played by Cherrelle Skeete, who share a tutor-pupil relationship reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Through their interactions, Pinnock deftly explores the intersections of class and race. Abi comes from a privileged, Oxford-educated background of Nigerian descent, with family history complicit in the slave trade, while Marva is her bright working-class mentee, whose grandfather mysteriously disappeared with ties to the Harford family.
Fen, short for Fenella and played by Sylvestra Le Touzel, is a direct descendant of Henry Harford, the enslaver whose diaries are discovered on his country estate. She presents the diaries to Abi and Marva, claiming Harford showed abolitionist tendencies, but their investigation uncovers disturbing evidence of his brutality in Jamaica.
Humour and Satire in a Haunted House Setting
Despite the heavy subject matter, Pinnock's play is remarkably entertaining, using satire and witty dialogue to tackle themes of soiled inheritance and racial appropriation. The production features a clever send-up of haunted house dramas, set on Jon Bausor's traverse design with empty gilt-edged picture frames and trapdoors revealing cellar secrets. Dimmed lighting and nervy string music add to the ghostly atmosphere.
Much of the comedy stems from Fen, a tweedy do-gooder who quickly excuses herself from her family's sins. Her character, a plummy type who once paraded as a cockney punk at Oxford, provides a satirical look at aristocrats hiring out their homes for cash, complete with grime artists and fabricated ghosts for tours.
Real Hauntings and Emotional Depth
Beneath the humour lie very real hauntings. A "Blackamoor statue" stashed away after debates on colonial heritage, and missing diary pages hinting at violence towards an enslaved woman called "Black Sarah," symbolise the unresolved pain of history. Director Miranda Cromwell skillfully navigates these tonal shifts, allowing humour to recede as guilt, shame, and buried pain emerge.
The performances by Ayola, Skeete, and Le Touzel are full of verve, balancing laughs with emotional resonance. While some plot connections feel convenient, serving twists akin to an Agatha Christie story, the play's clever barbs and zesty dialogue make it forgivable.
A Light Touch on Heavy Questions
The Authenticator courses along with a lightness of touch that effectively raises important contemporary questions about investigating histories, facing toxic legacies, and the need for atonement or apology. It's a disarming and thought-provoking experience at the National Theatre's Dorfman theatre until 9 May, offering a unique blend of thriller, comedy, and drama to explore Britain's colonial past.
