1884

An anticolonial game-theatre show

Welcome to Wilhelm Street. Make yourself at home...

As you settle in with your new family, you won’t only pick out furniture – you’ll forge new traditions and memories that you hope will last a lifetime. Somewhere nearby, though, there’s a meeting going on. A very important meeting. Run by very important people. Making very important decisions about your lives. But you and your family are not allowed inside…it’s nothing you need to worry about.

About the show

1884 is an immersive game-theatre show inspired by the legacy of the 1884 Berlin Conference, an often-overlooked historical turning point for the African continent and the world.

Created by Rhianna Ilube in collaboration with Coney and a group of artists, historians, activists and game-makers, the experience invites you on a fun, fast-paced, thought-provoking journey through the corridors of history you might not know. Over the course of two and a half hours, you’ll join with friends and strangers to form small family groups, collaborating on playful activities and making choices to build your community and make your house a home. But when rules begin to be imposed, it’s up to you how to respond… How is history recorded, and who is left outside of the room where history is written?

1884 played at Shoreditch Town Hall and Brighton Festival in April-May 2024 and will tour in autumn 2025.

‍★ ★ ★ ★
‘Fun, clever and beautifully crafted, this interactive show is a biting satire on the Scramble for Africa’ Time Out

★★★★
‘The most unique piece of theatre I have ever seen’ Arts Dispatch

★★★★★
‘A marvel of production, both on a technical and an intellectual level’ North West End

★★★★
‘Theatre-making with a strong and effective political purpose’ Reviews Hub

Creative team

1884 was created by Rhianna Ilube & Coney and produced by Koro.
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Writer & project director: Rhianna Ilube
Performance director: Tatenda Shamiso
Writer & game-maker: Tsitsi Mareika Chirikure
Writer & game-maker: malakaï sargeant
Writer & game-maker: Chloe Mashiter
Producer & game design: Marie Klimis
Set designer: Jacob Wu
Sound designer: Mwen
Lighting designer: Cheng Keng
Cast: Jyuddah Jaymes, Ewa Dina, Chusi Amoros
Stage manager: Brent Tan
Carpentry: Gaetan Martin & Ian Pilditch
Researchers: Shirley Ahura & Zoe Callow
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With additional thanks to: Munotida Chinyanga, Magnus Copps, Rachel Leah-Hosker, Toby Peach, Khai Shaw, Tassos Stevens, Becky-Dee Trevenen, Jacob V Joyce

1884

Trailer

About the show

Creative team

Project partners