“Hard-hitting stuff […] certain to tug on your heartstrings”
This is part of a series of shorter reviews from Edinburgh Fringe, August 2026.
“Blackbox” promises to intertwine illusion with history, as it tells the true story of Henry “Box” Brown’s daring escape from slavery by locking himself inside a wooden box. Tying this idea of escape together with the art of escapology is an interesting idea, yet the show never quite lives up to the promise of a performance that perfectly merges the two together – the illusions are too few and far between to have much impact. The focus here is on the hardships faced by Brown, played with emotional gusto by Josiah Alpher in what can only be described as a herculean performance that is certain to tug on your heartstrings.
Brown is passed from master to master in the 1800s at the height of the slave trade, and Alpher talks in depth about each of his various owners. There are multiple bad-tempered and violent men who are quick to beat and whip their slaves, although perhaps the most moving account is of the master who joined his slaves in singing songs, and yet sold them on anyway, snatching any potential hope of a more considerate master away from Alpher and his contemporaries.
Jada Evelyn Ramsey supports Alpher as both his assistant during various magic tricks, and as supporting characters in the narrative, taking on the role of Brown’s mother and Brown’s wife, both lost to him as Brown finds himself passed from pillar to post with no say as to his next destination. The most impassioned speech sees Alpher embody a preacher, whilst Ramsey provides backing vocals to underscore the sermon. Alpher’s anger and desperation somehow creates something that feels uplifting, that seems to shift the narrative to something a little lighter. The sermon ends with the preacher being sentenced to death, trapping the show in further bleakness.
The escape of Brown in a wooden box is covered in the final section of the play, but it seems added on as an afterthought, rather than being the main focus as the title would suggest. The production is framed around the box, beginning and ending with Alpher attempting an escape from his chains, but the bulk of the play chooses to focus on his difficult circumstances which makes for a barrage of misery that allows us to appreciate the horrific historical context but does not always make for particularly pleasant viewing. Hard-hitting stuff, and not quite the magic show that the promotional material for this piece seems to promise.
“Blackbox” plays at 12:40pm at Belly Button, Underbelly, Cowgate until 30th August.
This review was written whilst the show was still in previews.
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