debbie tucker green’s 2008 play, trade, has barely aged at all. Dealing with themes of identity, sexual politics, and class would, you would imagine, date any play almost instantly, and yet, this piece of theatre almost seems to transcend time (except for a reference to Bo Derrick’s ill-advised dreadlocks, which could just as easily be replaced by Kim Kardashian for a modern audience).

The play is set in Jamaica, focussing on three women, Local, Regular, and Novice. Local, played by Sharla Smith, is a native islander, eking out a living in the country’s tourist trade; Gracy Goldman is Regular – a wealthy, old (not so old) white woman who visits Jamaica every year; and Rachel Summers plays Novice, a young white woman who has saved hard to be able to afford her first trip to the Caribbean.

For a short play, trade deals with incredibly complex themes: the central theme running through the play is sex tourism. It becomes quickly apparent that all three women have slept with the same man, so is it exploitative (on his part, or theirs?), transactional, just something to make you feel ‘nice’, or something to do ‘on my holidays’? The women argue about romance and sex in the face of financial transactions, all the while asking questions and offering insights into the subjects of class disparity, feminism, ageism, sexism, and racism.

debbie tucker green’s vision, to have these characters all played by black British women, is an inversion of the theatrical trope by which, for years, characters of colour have been played by white people, and men have taken on women’s roles. In a post-show conversation, Smith, Goldman, and Summers spoke about how they came to this play with sympathy for each of their characters, as they were able to inhabit both halves of their roles – coming from a western society, with a particular set of values, but also understanding what it is to be ‘othered’ within that society.

The rhythms which run throughout the play are beautiful – debbie tucker green plays with language and sound in a way which feels more like that of a poet than a dramatist. The actors convey this wonderfully in their interactions, the way the words flow and intersect with each other. This is a smart, lyrical production that leaves you thinking about the play for much longer than its 50 minute duration!    ★★★★☆    @BookingAround    16^th October 2019