In 1849, Henry “Box” Brown escaped slavery near Richmond, Virginia, by mailing himself in a wooden crate to Philadelphia, a state where slavery had been phased out by the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780. That true story is now told in Blackbox, a play at Underbelly, Edinburgh, which uses stage magic to emphasise the extraordinary nature of the escape.
The production, written and directed by Rickerby Hinds, opens with Brown wrapped in chains. As inspiration strikes, actor Josiah Alpher flexes his muscles and the chains appear to pass through his neck—a neat visual metaphor for a miraculous feat. The play features a glamorous magician’s assistant, played by Jada Evelyn Ramsey, and a knotted rope trick, framing Brown’s journey as a Houdini-style stunt.
The Painful Journey to Freedom
Alpher describes the painful journey in the crate: squashed, upturned, and knocked about, before Brown’s happy delivery. The script also details the broader bonds of slavery, not just physical chains but also a church that sanctioned the practice and the constant threat of whipping, which Hinds presents as a nagging psychological burden.
The play recounts Brown’s story before his break for freedom, including callous treatment by his owner and accounts of conditions even worse than his own. This weighty material, however, is lessened in three ways.
Three Weaknesses in the Production
First, the story is recounted rather than dramatised, and without the magic tricks it would seem theatrically flat. Second, the actors hit an impressively breakneck speed but perform without tonal variation, making it hard to keep up. Third, the story ends where you might expect it to begin, with Brown’s entry into a new life.
Despite these issues, the magic tricks provide a unique lens on a legendary escape. The production runs at Underbelly, Edinburgh, until 30 August.
