The Authenticator ★★★★★ National Theatre | Until May 9, 2026

When some 18th-century diaries written by the founder of Harford House are discovered, his descendant Fenella calls in two academics, Abi and Marva, to examine them. The manuscripts, which detail Harford’s involvement in the slave trade, soon prove to be far more than a mere catalogue, and the complex history of Britain’s role in the enslavement of Africans acquires a distinctly human face. The subject is a fraught one, with strong, often ahistorical and unnuanced opinions drowning out the complicated reality. Winsome Pinnock has written a fascinating and richly funny play that shows how this heritage touches three women, each in a very different way. Pinnock manages to explore the complexity of her subject with extraordinary humour and humanity. This is theatre at its finest, taking on a difficult subject, humanising it, making it dramatically compelling and avoiding the needlessly didactic. There is much to learn and much to ponder in this play, but it is also deeply entertaining. Sylvestra Le Touzel, as Fen, the well-meaning, almost unconsciously privileged mistress of the manor, who was once a singer in a punk band and still harbours artistic ambitions, is absolutely hilarious. It is a performance that almost overwhelms the other two characters, but astonishingly Rakie Ayola, as Abi, the dedicated scholar whose ancestors collaborated in the slave trade, and Charlotte Skeete, as Marva, the impulsive student whose forebearers were actually enslaved, more than hold their own. Both performances create memorable characters who are far more than simple representatives of a viewpoint. The other outstanding contributor to this superb production is Jon Bausor, whose set design is utterly captivating. His re-creation of Harford House is quite miraculous, and while undeniably impressive, it still enhances rather than distracts from the play. One sees so many well meaning plays with a cause to promote that it is a delight to encounter a work that remembers to entertain while it educates. The Authenticator is the real thing!

Rated: ★★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Marc Brenner

When, Where, Getting there:

• Until May 9, 2026
• Various dates and times (see website below)
• National Theatre
• Nearest tube: Waterloo
• https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/the-authenticator/