In 1854, Willaim Henry Lane, a young black New Yorker, arrived in London with the aim of becoming the King of all dancers; the ‘Master of the Juba’. Having been discovered by Barnum he was already a star in the United States, but to be accepted on the British stage he had to wear minstrel’s make up. Master Juba explores Lane’s true battles to overcome racial stereotyping and the legacy he left behind.

Theatre Is, which presents Master Juba, is a new theatre company that aims to rediscover ways to present live performance.