Small Island embarks on a journey from Jamaica to Britain, through the Second World War to 1948 – the year the HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury.
The play follows three intricately connected stories.
Hortense yearns for a new life away from rural Jamaica, Gilbert dreams of becoming a lawyer, and Queenie longs to escape her Lincolnshire roots. Hope and humanity meet stubborn reality as the play traces the tangled history of Jamaica and the UK.
A company of 40 actors take to the stage of the National Theatre in this timely and moving story.
Adapted by Helen Edmundson and based on Andrea Levy’s Orange Prize-winning novel; Small Island comes to life in an epic new theatre adaptation.
Experience the play in cinemas, filmed live on stage as part of National Theatre Live’s 10th birthday.
BBFC classification: 15 due to strong language and themes some people may find distressing
Running time: 3h 20 mins inc a 20 min interval
“Momentous theatre. One of the most important plays of the year”
Guardian
“Rufus Norris’s epic adaptation of Andrea Levy’s Windrush novel is spectacular”
Observer
“A gripping story of the Windrush generation. A vital production”
The Times
