Invisible
Invisible, written by McMillan, is an adaptation of Ralph Ellison’s seminal novel, Invisible Man (1952) won the National Book Award and the Russwurm Award. The novel centres around a young Black man, who experiences painful lessons about race in his search for his identity while migrating from the American South to the North.
The prologue to Invisible Man begins where the novel ends: the protagonist, alienated from the reality of his existence, escapes into a manhole. He makes the cavernous black hole his home, listening to Louis Armstrong’s What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue, and wires the ceiling and walls with 1369 lights. Light symbolise truth, hope and happiness, which he has been searching for, but previously blinded to.
Invisible Man’s prologue has inspired numerous dramatic interpretations, and McMillan’s Invisible is a one-man multi-media play, directed by Topher Campbell and performed by Chris Tajah. Set design was created by Bernadette Roberts, music soundscape by Derek Richards, and choreography by Albie Ollivierre. Invisible was produced by Double Edge Theatre and went on a national tour of the UK in 1993.
Programme:
Reviews:
“Powerfully acted. Thoughtfully written. Powerful indictment of Wester ‘cultural’ conceptions.”
“The best piece of theatre I have seen in years.”
“INVISIBLE articulates what some men are unable to express, therefore, I believe it invites women and men to take a very necessary trip together.”
