This week we are looking at the 1930s and the first black woman playwright in the Black Plays Archive, the legendary Una Marson, and how she flourished in 1930s Britain. A trailblazer in every sense, Una Marson was a Jamaican poet, playwright, writer, activist. She was also the first black woman to be hired by the BBC.  

We interview the brilliant academic and novelist, Delia Jarrett-Macauley, about Una Marson’s legacy and two of her plays, ‘At What a Price’ and ‘Pocomania’. Una’s plays talk about religion, gender politics, and racism at a time where black women were rarely given the opportunity to do so. We ask what we might learn from Una’s plays if they were revived today.  

Black Plays Archive Website: https://www.blackplaysarchive.org.uk/ 

Email [email protected] 

National Theatre on social media @nationaltheatre  

Delia Jarrett-Macauley http://www.deliajarrettmacauley.com/ 

References:
'Pocomania and London's Calling' by Una Marson
'Una Marson' by British Library. https://www.bl.uk/people/una-marson 
'The Life of Una Marson 1905-1965' by Delia Jarrett-Macauley
'Staying Power: The history of black people in Britain' by Peter Fryer
'Black and Asian Theatre in Britain' by Colin Chambers