A play celebrating Bermuda's emancipation and 400th anniversary has been congratulated by Culture Minister Neletha Butterfield.

The play is an annual event put on by the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and is generally focused on key parts of Bermuda's history such as the pre-slavery African culture.

This year the play was entitled, 'Emancipation: A Love Story' and was written by Dr. Kim Dismont-Robinson. It took place on August 1 at the Botanical Gardens.

Ms Butterfield said: "This 75-minute play spanned 500 years of experience, beginning in 15th century Angola and finishing in Bermuda 2009. The poetic language highlighted the emotions of this collective history, the separation of family, the violence of the institution that haunts our present day experience, the fear of torture and persecution, both physical and psychological.

"I saw an audience that was deeply moved by this production, some people were in tears, and the enthusiastic response by the public prompted us to restage the play for an additional two nights."

The play was performed again on August 31 and September 1 at the Berkeley Institute.