Details

Moj of the Antarctic is inspired by the true life story of Ellen Craft, a 19th century African-American slave woman who escaped to freedom by disguising herself as a white man. Ellen's amazing story of race and gender cross-dressing is one of the forgotten gem's of Black history, and the history of drag! Moj of the Antarctic extends Ellen's amazing biography into a flight of theatrical fantasy where upon arrival in Victorian London, she finds work as a sailor on a whaling ship bound for the Southern Seas. Life on the ship is tough and even stranger is the men's obsession with Black face minstrelsy. Eventually the ship arrives in Antarctic waters ripe for gruesome whaling, and Moj becomes the first Black woman to step foot Antarctica. This theatre piece incorporates video, text, dance, music, storytelling, song and original photography created for the piece on location in Antarctica by legendary queer visual artist Del LaGrace Volcano.

Cast/Performers

Mojisola Adebayo

Creatives/Company

Author: Mojisola Adebayo
Producer(s): Mojisola Adebayo, Antarctic Collective
Director: Sheron Wray
Design: Rajha Shakiry
Other: Del LaGrace Volcano (visual art)
Lighting: Crin Claxton