Riding Lights to Feature John Newton Story

|PIC1|Renowned theatre company Riding Lights will be touring their latest show, African Snow, across the UK in commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of Abolition of Slave Trade.

African Snow tells the story of Olaudah Equiano - a forgotten hero in the battle to abolish slavery.

According to Riding Lights, "Equiano's ascent from the living hell of a slave ship to become the leading black voice in the British abolition campaign is one of the most compelling and moving stories of any era."

The play imagines a meeting between Equiano and the English sailor John Newton, the converted former slave trader and writer of the classic hymn "Amazing Grace".

Both men wrote remarkable accounts of their experiences and, backed by Yorkshire MP William Wilberforce, each offered crucial testimony before Parliament. This year, their contribution towards abolishing the trade in African slaves is being celebrated across the country.

African Snow is the first co-production between York theatre companies Riding Lights and York Theatre Royal. African Snow was originally commissioned and is supported by the Church Mission Society, founded in 1799 by representatives of the abolitionist movement including William Wilberforce.

The show features original music by the legendary Nigerian musician Ben Okafor.

For more information on African Snow, go to http://www.ridinglights.org.