Benedict Lombe is a writer of Congolese-British heritage. She is based in London and was born in

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...

. She is the writer of two acclaimed plays, ''Lava'' and ''Shifters'', both of which received their premieres at the

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. The Bush Theatre strives to create a spa ...

. ''Lava'', a one-woman play starring Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo and directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike, opened at the Bush in 2021. It went on to win the 2022

Susan Smith Blackburn Prize The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize established in 1978, is the largest and oldest playwriting prize for women+ writing for English-speaking theatre. Named for Susan Smith Blackburn (1935–1977), alumna of Smith College, who died of breast cancer. W ...

- the oldest and largest prize honouring women+ playwrights writing for English-speaking theatre. Lombe thus became one of the first playwrights to win the prize for a debut play. Lava also won prizes at the Black British Theatre Awards and the 2022 Offies, and it was nominated for the

Alfred Fagon Award The Alfred Fagon Award is granted annually for the best new play by a Black British playwright of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the United Kingdom. It was instituted in 1996 and first awarded in 1997, to recognise the work of Black Br ...

for Best New Play of the Year. Lombe's next play ''Shifters'', a two-hander romance starring

Tosin Cole Tosin Cole (born 23 July 1992) is an American-born British actor. He is known for various roles in British television series and films. He began his on-screen career starring in '' The Cut'' and '' EastEnders: E20'', later securing a regular ro ...

and

Heather Agyepong Heather Akosua Agyepong is a British photographer, visual artist, performer and actor, living in London. Her work is held in the collection of Mead Art Museum. Early life and education Agyepong was born and raised in London and is of Ghanaian he ...

, directed by Lynette Linton, opened in 2024 to widespread acclaim from UK theatre press. Among Lombe's writing influences are

Lynn Nottage Lynn Nottage (born November 2, 1964) is an American playwright whose work often focuses on the experience of working-class people, particularly working-class people who are Black. She has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice: in 2009 for he ...

, debbie tucker green and

Paula Vogel Paula Vogel (born November 16, 1951) is an American playwright who received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play ''How I Learned to Drive.'' A longtime teacher, Vogel spent the bulk of her academic career – from 1984 to 2008 – at Bro ...

References

Living people Black British women writers British women dramatists and playwrights Democratic Republic of the Congo dramatists and playwrights Democratic Republic of the Congo emigrants to the United Kingdom Democratic Republic of the Congo women writers People from Kinshasa Year of birth missing (living people) {{DRCongo-bio-stub