Describing three Afro-Brazilian women as they battle against landowners, racism and a form of slavery that hides itself, Christiane Jatahy mixes fiction and reality in an uncomfortable and provocative way. Her script sets out the historical oppressions through passionate speeches and documentary footage, even bringing a spiritual ritual onstage in a moment that questions whether one performer is experiencing possessions.

After The Silence has a direct and aggressive dramaturgy as personal stories are juxtaposed with recreations of violence and community interviews. The message (of systemic racism and how oppression is maintained through state-supported violence) dominates the production to the extent that even these vivid, lively performances are overshadowed by a justifiable outrage. The show’s ambitions hammer at the potential of theatre: is the story, which examines the assignation of two men fighting for rights, undermined by being placed within fiction, or is this play the most effective way to bear witness?

There is an undeniable emotional power to the production, breaking down its own structure and finally exploding into a loud and seductive musicality: it questions hegemony and even the complicity of its audience. The EIF’s slogan is ‘rituals to unite us’, but this ritual exposes the banality of such optimism.

After The Silence, The Studio, until 24 August, 8pm, as part of Edinburgh International Festival; main picture: Andrew Perry.