Set on a West Indies sugar plantation worked by enslaved people of West African descent, Ilarun: The Cutting Comb is inspired by 18th century Jamaican freedom fighter Nanny of the Maroons.

Amarantha Robinson, a Jamaican-Australian who wrote, produces and stars in this new play, also drew on critical race theory and the Black experience of today. So it’s much more than a period piece.

Ilarun is a satire about racism and to a lesser extent marketing. It’s also a drama that explores resistance and personal transformation, and leans into mysticism and symbolism – including a talismanic ilarun (a traditional African hair comb).

Rufaro Zimbudzi and Amarantha Robinson in Ilarun: The Cutting Comb. Photo © Dre Chez

This 90-minute play directed by Effie Nkrumah centres on Juicy, one of many enslaved women who are “milked” by their white owner, Masa. The nature of the fluid they provide is slowly revealed, with disturbing connotations throughout of sexual exploitation and being milked like cows.

The fluid is more overtly related to addiction and marketing, as Masa can’t get enough of the substance and, together with his unnamed assistant, sells it as a potent energy drink. Ilarun’s...