At an upcoming event, Prof Jeremy Krikler, an emeritus professor at the University of Essex and a visiting professor at UP, will be demonstrating how theatre can serve as a powerful vessel for history.

As part of a seminar hosted by the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at the University of Pretoria (UP), Professor Jeremy Krikler – an emeritus professor at the University of Essex and a visiting professor in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at UP – will discuss the process of turning archival material into compelling drama. The event will offer insight into the challenges of merging historical scholarship with theatrical storytelling, providing an engaging perspective on how theatre can serve as a powerful vessel for history.

His journey into historical theatre began with a deep dive into the private papers of Lord Mansfield, a pivotal figure in English judicial history.

“I distinctly remember returning from the archives one day at Scone Palace in Perth, Australia – where the Mansfield papers were held – and thinking of how the material I was working on cried out for theatre,” he recalls.

Among the documents, Prof Krikler uncovered details of a harrowing case tied to the transatlantic slave trade – the Zong massacre of 1781. A British slave ship, carrying hundreds of enslaved Africans, sailed past its intended destination due to a navigational error. Running low on water, the crew made a grim decision: to throw about 130 captives overboard to their deaths.

Upon the ship’s return to Liverpool, its owners sought insurance compensation, arguing that the killings were necessary for the survival of the voyage. Lord Mansfield, known for his legal acumen and for challenging slaveholder power at times, ruled in favour of the merchants, treating the case strictly as a matter of insurance rather than murder.

The shocking nature of the case left a lasting impression on Prof Krikler.

“After years of researching and writing about the Zong, I knew this history needed a different medium to truly resonate with audiences,” he explains.

His play, A Peril of the Sea, took shape through extensive collaboration with theatre professionals, and was staged in Colchester and London in 2017, and later published by Methuen in 2019.

Writing for the stage, however, required more than just historical accuracy.

“As a historian, you sometimes have to make characters say things they never did or behave slightly out of character, all in the service of a greater historical truth,” Prof Krikler notes. “The key is to remain aware of where artistic liberties are taken while ensuring that the core message stays intact.”

Prof Krikler will discuss this process on 2 April at 1:30pm in the Library Auditorium.