Rockets and Blue Lights (National Theatre Edition) - by Winsome Pinnock (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

On the set of a new film about Victorian artist J.M.W. Turner, young actress Lou is haunted by an unresolved history. Meanwhile, in 1840, Londoners Lucy and Thomas try to come to terms with the meaning of freedom.

Moving between London past and present, Winsome Pinnock's astonishing play retells British history through the prism of the slave trade. Fusing fact with fiction, and the powerfully personal with the fiercely political, Rockets and Blue Lights asks who owns our past - and who has the right to tell its stories?

Winner of the 2018 Alfred Fagon Award, the play opened at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in 2020, directed by Miranda Cromwell. It transferred to the National Theatre, London, in 2021.

Review Quotes

"A deep dive into the murky waters of the legacy of Britain's role in the slave trade... The rich depth of Pinnock's writing... It is an ugly truth, but, somehow, Winsome Pinnock has made it beautiful."

"A swirling journey through the light and shade of black history."

About the Author

Winsome Pinnock is an award-winning British playwright of Jamaican heritage. Her plays include: Rockets and Blue Lights (Royal Exchange, Manchester, 2020; National Theatre, 2021); and Leave Taking (Liverpool Playhouse Theatre / Contact Theatre Manchester / Belgrade Theatre Coventry / Lyric Hammersmith / National Theatre, 1986), among others. She adapted Malorie Blackman's novel Pig Heart Boy for the stage (Unicorn Theatre / Sheffield Theatres / Children's Theatre Partnership, 2025). Her work was won many accolades, including the Alfred Fagon Award (2018), the Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama (2022), the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Special Commendation (1990), the George Devine Award (1991), the Pearson Award for Best New Play (1991), and the Unity Theatre Trust Award (1989).