Talawa Theatre Company is a

Black British Black British people are a multi-ethnic group of British citizens of either African or Afro-Caribbean descent.Gadsby, Meredith (2006), ''Sucking Salt: Caribbean Women Writers, Migration, and Survival'', University of Missouri Press, pp. 76–7 ...

theatre company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

founded in 1986."Black & Asian Performance in Britain 1970 onwards - Talawa Theatre Company"
V&A.

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

: Theatre Collections. The core of Talawa's work is championing reinterpretations of classic plays, developing new writing and directing talent, and developing and producing new plays from and about the Black British Community and

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

and

African diaspora The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were e ...

within Britain."New Black theatre companies"
Moving Here – Migration histories. Talawa Theatre Company is a National Portfolio Organisation, supported by funding from

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...

in recognition of consistently high-quality artistic work, and was one of very few organisations to receive an uplift in its grant for the period between 2018 and 2022 in recognition for its audience development. Since 2011, Talawa Theatre Company has been led by CEO and Artistic Director

Michael Buffong Michael Buffong (born 1964) is an English theatre director and the Artistic Director of Talawa Theatre Company. His work is characterised by reworking stage classics delivered to high degree of detail. Buffong has been described as "one of the most ...

, whose career spans theatre, television, radio and film. Gardner, Lyn (9 June 2015)
"Do we need diversity quotas for theatre?"
''The Guardian''.Snow, Georgia (5 June 2015)
"Michael Buffong: 'Use diversity quotas or nothing will change'"
''The Stage''."Bringing Black into the Theatre Mainstream"
(Michael Buffong profile), ''Arts Industry (AI)'', 16 December 2012. In February 2019, Buffong announced plans for a 200-seat on-site performance space at Croydon's

Fairfield Halls Fairfield Halls is an arts, entertainment and conference centre in Croydon, London, England, which opened in 1962 and contains a theatre and gallery, and a large concert hall regularly used for BBC television, radio and orchestral recordings. Fa ...

, describing the move as enabling the organisation to "make outstanding work which will truly diversify and shape the cultural life of the whole country." Carolyn ML Forsyth joined the organisation in November 2020 to work alongside Michael Buffong as Joint CEO and Executive Director. Talawa's 2021 season, coming out of the

Covid-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

pandemic, highlighted a mix of livestreamed work and online workshops gradually building towards live performance later in the year. Following the

pandemic, and along with all

National Portfolio Organisations, Talawa was granted an additional year's grant extension to ensure stability. The 2023-2026 investment programme from

ensured that Talawa retained its NPO status with an enhanced grant in view of its audience development and community engagement activity. The name Talawa comes from a

Jamaican patois Jamaican Patois (; locally rendered Patwah and called Jamaican Creole by linguists) is an English-based creole language with West African influences, spoken primarily in Jamaica and among the Jamaican diaspora. A majority of the non-English wo ...

saying "Me lickle but me talawa", meaning to be small but strong.Obano, Nisha
"Talawa Theatre Company"
''Encyclopedia of AfroEuropean Studies''.

Mission

The company's stated mission is ''"to champion Black Excellence in theatre; to nurture talent in emerging and established artists of African or Caribbean heritage and to tell inspirational and passionate stories reflecting Black experiences through art."''"Talawa's Mission"
Talawa Theatre website. In doing so, the company provides opportunities for

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

directors, writers and actors, and creatives to make theatre on British stages, and to enlarge theatre audiences seeing black work. Talawa's work embraces touring classical works on the mid-scale to regional theatres in the UK, literary and participation activities, finding and developing new writers and scripts, and developing theatre-makers, artists and directors. Alongside this, Talawa also runs

unconscious bias In social identity theory, an implicit bias or implicit stereotype, is the pre-reflective attribution of particular qualities by an individual to a member of some social out group. Implicit stereotypes are thought to be shaped by experience and b ...

training workshops for educational institutions and corporate clients.

History

Jamaican-born

Yvonne Brewster Yvonne Jones Brewster (née Clarke; born 7 October 1938) is a Jamaican actress, theatre director and businesswoman, known for her role as Ruth Harding in the BBC television soap opera ''Doctors''. She co-founded the theatre companies Talawa in ...

Mona Hammond Mona Hammond (born Mavis Chin; 1 January 1931 – 4 July 2022) was a Jamaican-British actress and co-founder of the Talawa Theatre Company. Born in Tweedside, Jamaica,

, and Guyanese

Carmen Munroe Carmen Esme Munroe, (born 12 November 1932)

and Inigo Espejel founded the company in 1986.Iqbal, Nosheen (29 May 2011)
"Talawa theatre company: the fights of our lives"
''The Guardian''. Talawa's first production in 1986 was ''The Black Jacobins'' by

C. L. R. James Cyril Lionel Robert James (4 January 1901 – 31 May 1989),Fraser, C. Gerald, ''The New York Times'', 2 June 1989. who sometimes wrote under the pen-name J. R. Johnson, was a Trinidadian historian, journalist and Marxist. His works are in ...

, a play that had not been performed in England for 50 years, and never before with an all-black cast. Since then, Talawa has produced and toured classic work by numerous playwrights and writers including Dennis Scott,

Derek Walcott Sir Derek Alton Walcott (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. His works include the Homeric epic poem ''Omeros'' (1990), which many critics view "as Walcot ...

, Galt McDermot,

Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...

James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim across various media, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'', was published in 1953; de ...

, Michael Abbensetts,

Trevor Rhone Trevor Dave Rhone (24 March 1940 – 15 September 2009) was a Jamaican writer, playwright and film maker. He co-wrote, with director Perry Henzell, the internationally successful film '' The Harder They Come'' (1972). Life Trevor Rhone, w ...

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

Tariq Ali Tariq Ali (; born 21 October 1943) is a Pakistani-British political activist, writer, journalist, historian, filmmaker, and public intellectual. He is a member of the editorial committee of the ''New Left Review'' and ''Sin Permiso'', and con ...

Theresa Ikoko Theresa Ikoko is a British playwright and screenwriter of Nigerian descent. Her play ''Girls'', about three girls abducted by terrorists in northern Nigeria, won the Alfred Fagon Award and other awards. Ikoko later gained greater nationwide reco ...

, Natasha Marshall and

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

and worked with a variety of directors and actors including

Michaela Coel Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson (born 1 October 1987), known professionally as Michaela Coel, is a British screenwriter and actress. She is best known for creating and starring in the E4 sitcom ''Chewing Gum'' (2015–2017), for which she won ...

Cathy Tyson Catherine Tyson (born 12 June 1965) is an English actress. She won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), which also earned her Best Supporting Actress nom ...

, Dona Croll,

Ray Shell Ray Shell (born 22 September 1951) is an American film, TV and stage actor, as well as an author, singer, director and producer. He is known for creating the roles of Nomax in ''Five Guys Named Moe'' (1990) and Rusty in ''Starlight Express'' (1984 ...

Norman Beaton Norman Lugard Beaton (31 October 1934 – 13 December 1994) was a Guyanese actor long resident in the United Kingdom. He became best known for his role as Desmond Ambrose in the Channel Four television comedy series ''Desmond's''. The writer S ...

Horace Ove Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

Paulette Randall Paulette Randall, MBE (born 1961) is a British theatre director of Jamaican descent.

Don Warrington Don Warrington MBE (born Donald Williams, 23 May 1951) is a Trinidadian-born British actor. He is best known for playing Philip Smith in the ITV sitcom ''Rising Damp'' (1974–78), and Commissioner Selwyn Patterson in the BBC detective series ...

Sharon D Clarke Sharon Delores Clarke (born 12 August 1966) is an English actress and singer. She is a three-time Olivier award winner, and is best known to television audiences for her role as Lola Griffin in the medical drama ''Holby City'', and as Grace O'Br ...

Fraser Ayres Fraser Stuart Ayres (born 1980) is an English actor, best known for his role as Clint in the BBC comedy series '' The Smoking Room''. Ayres first joined the youth core at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester and has done other television includ ...

and

David Harewood David Harewood MBE (born 8 December 1965) is a British actor and presenter. He is best known for his roles as CIA Counterterrorism Director David Estes in ''Homeland'' (2011–2012), and as J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter and Hank Henshaw / C ...

. Talawa had a home at Bloomsbury's Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre from 1991 until 1995, a period within which the company achieved a high profile. Following the departure from the Cochrane Theatre in 1995, the failed attempt to secure a new theatre space in Victoria, and the departure of its founder

in 2003, Talawa was briefly led by Ben Thomas, and then

Bonnie Greer Bonnie Greer, OBE FRSL (born 16 November 1948) is an American-British playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, who has lived in the UK since 1986. She has appeared as a panellist on television programmes such as ''Newsnight Review'' and ''Qu ...

Paulette Randall Paulette Randall, MBE (born 1961) is a British theatre director of Jamaican descent.

, and Patricia Cumper, under whose direction the company regained Arts Council funding.

took over the helm from Patricia Cumper, securing enhanced

National Portfolio Organisation status for the company and leading to a renewed profile for its work with new artists and its revived classic theatre productions.Thorpe, Vanessa (25 October 2015)
"After a century of black British theatre, actors still struggle to take centre stage"
(on

Lenny Henry Sir Lenworth George Henry (born 29 August 1958) is a British actor, comedian, singer, television presenter and writer. Henry gained success as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in ''The Lenn ...

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

series), ''The Observer''. Michael Buffong featured on ''Creative Review''s "50 Creative Leaders" list in 2017, having also featured in the

Powerlist The ''Powerlist'' is a list of the 100 most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage in the United Kingdom. The list is updated annually and has been published in book format by Powerful Media since 2007. The ''Powerlist'' is ...

, celebrating Britain's most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage. In February 2019, plans for a 200-seat on-site performance space at Croydon's

were revealed. The move gave Talawa its first such space since a residency at the

Cochrane Theatre The Cochrane Theatre, previously known as the Jeanetta Cochrane Theatre, was a receiving and producing theatre situated in Holborn, London, that opened in 1964. It is now used for television filming. History The theatre opened in 1963 and was n ...

came to an end in 1995.

Artist development

As well as touring major works across the UK, Talawa Theatre Company commissions new plays, and develops theatre artists and directors. In January 2017, Talawa announced the creation of ''MAKE'', a career development community of Black theatre artists. The MAKE community creates 250 new opportunities for Black artists every year, across four areas, enabling artists to make connections and build the support they need to create new work. A Talawa spokesperson commented that "Diversity projects tend to be just that – projects – and as a quick-fix approach, they are not building an infrastructure. What we need is sustained engagement that provides artists with a pathway into the industry, and the footholds to keep them there ...". As part of MAKE, Talawa also offers a script reading service and produces an annual season of play readings, named ''Talawa Firsts'', which showcases the best new

writing talent. The Company also supports and develops emerging theatre-makers – performers, designers and technicians – through their flagship participation programmes ''TYPT'', and ''Studio Firsts''.

Recent productions

Talawa Theatre Company co-produces a major touring production annually in addition to a rolling programme of artist development and showcases of new work.

''Running With Lions''

Written by Sian Carter (nee Davila), ''Running With Lions'' began life as an audio play directed by Michael Buffong on BBC Radio 4 as part of the Talawa Stories season. In September 2021,

Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

announced the co-production with Talawa of Sian Carter's ''Running With Lions'', which would again be directed by Michael Buffong; the production performed in February 2022.

''A Place For We 2021''

''A Place for We'' by Archie Maddocks was announced as a co-production between Talawa Theatre Company and Park Theatre, opening in early October 2021. Having been postponed during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the production returned with a cast including David Webber and

Blake Harrison Blake Harrison is an English actor, comedian and dancer. He is best known for playing Neil Sutherland in the BAFTA-winning E4 comedy ''The Inbetweeners'' and more recently as 'Medium' Dan, in the ITV sitcom Kate & Koji since 2020. Career H ...

, in a production directed by

. Referring to the story and setting of A Place For We, Buffong said: "In Talawa's 35-year history we've been at the forefront of presenting the issues faced by our communities. More than ever, gentrification is the pressing issue of our day." Critical receptions to the play were largely complimentary, with reviews awarding three to five stars. The Guardian review held particular praise for the "subtlety and naturalism" of the production, awarding four stars. Awarding five stars, the Theatre Weekly review dubbed A Place for We "the funniest play of the year". What's On Stage commented that "This production has been a long time coming... but rest assured, it has been worth the wait".

''Run It Back 2021''

''Run It Back'' is a show with a live DJ set inspired by Black British culb culture and was originally devised by Talawa Theatre Company's TYPT 2018 company. ''Run It Back'' would have opened the Talawa Studio at

in Spring 2020, but plans were postponed following the lockdowns arising as a result of the

. ''Run It Back'' was revived in September 2021 to both critical and audience acclaim. The reviewer for The Stage awarded the production five stars, stating that it was: "full of exuberance, but it’s not an uncritical celebration. The piece also offers gentle interrogation of some of the more problematic elements of music and club culture, by highlighting homophobic lyrics and violently misogynist behaviour that so often goes unchecked." Meanwhile, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' went further, with Arifa Akbar declaring ''Run It Back'' to be: "the purest enactment of 'black joy' – as a political act – I have seen in the past year."

''The Tide 2021''

In August 2021, Talawa revived The Tide for a free national tour of Talawa's first production created exclusively for outdoor performance. The Tide is a movement based theatre production and is an artistic collaboration between choreographer Jade Hackett and writer Ryan Calais Cameron which explores the narratives and experiences of migration within The United Kingdom,

''Talawa Stories''

In May 2021 Talawa presented three well received new radio dramas on BBC Radio 4, co-produced with radio production company, feral inc.

''Tales From the Front Line''

In July 2020, Talawa announced that ''Tales From the Front Line'', based on verbatim interviews from Black key and frontline workers during the

, would be available from Autumn 2020. ''Tales from the Front Line'' was launched on 30 November 2020, with the first two films of dramatised verbatim testimony getting good notices. The first film presented a verbatim narrative from a Teacher, played by

Jo Martin Jo Martin (born 29 April) is a British actress. She played Natalie Crouch in the BBC One sitcom ''The Crouches'', which aired between 2003 and 2005. She joined the cast of ''Holby City'' in 2019 as neurosurgeon Max McGerry. Martin portrayed an ...

, talking about trying to keep themselves and their pupils safe during the pandemic, the emotional and psychological impact of the global

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...

movement, and the challenges of supporting students' education during an era of great uncertainty. The second film presented a verbatim narrative from an

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

Recovery Worker, played by Sapphire Joy, which highlighted the racial bias in the medical treatment of Black people, and their disdain for performative gratitude during the pandemic, followed by the failure to award pay rises to front line staff. As Buffong explained in interviews at the time, "These are the words of the teacher, the health worker, the train dispatch worker, the woman who works in the supermarket warehouse." The ''

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...

'' reviewer commented that the stories were "not just about expressing anger at systemic injustice. They are miniature character studies, rich in insight and individual detail. They reveal a person and a life, as well as giving a depth of meaning to the high rates of Covid-related deaths among people of colour in Britain." ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'' review focused on the verbatim aspects of the work, stating: "This is a necessary art – an example of the way theatre can be used to educate and promote understanding. Where else can we hear the unadulterated stories of our front-line workers told in their own words?" iPaper stated that it was "Impossible not to listen; impossible to look away" from the pieces. Many reviewers commented on the quality of the films, as well as the power of the verbatim narratives. Further episodes were released in February and April 2021.

''Black Joy''

In Autumn 2020 Talawa and

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre c ...

announced their ''Black Joy'' season. Following that announcement,

revealed that they would hire several spaces "to operate a Nightingale Court from December '20 to June '21". This move was not well received by many Black artists, creatives and community leaders. Press reports highlighted that the move had "alienated staff, audiences and cultural workforce", leading to criticism from prominent figures, including the comedian

Joe Lycett Joe Harry Lycett, also known by the self-given moniker Mummy, is an English comedian, painter and television presenter. Known for his sardonically camp style, whimsical public stunts and elaborate set designs, Lycett has been described as one ...

. Both ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' and ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' referred to figures from the House of Commons library, which showed that black and minority ethnic people are over-represented within the criminal justice system, accounting for 23 per cent of people prosecuted (against 16 per cent of population), and 27 per cent of prison inmates and, with average sentences longer than those of white people. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' highlighted the lack of transparency around

's decision. Subsequently, Talawa announced "…that having to make the difficult calls between maintaining the creative and political integrity of cultural buildings, and preserving the jobs of those who work within them, is a position arts leaders shouldn't be forced into", going on to state: "The decision Birmingham Rep have taken to host a Nightingale Court does not align with Talawa's commitment to Black artists and communities, the communities most affected by this decision. It has threatened the integrity of the Black Joy season; regrettably the partnership is no longer tenable under current circumstances." Talawa have stated that they are "exploring our options" to still bring the season "to the audiences it was intended for".

COVID-19 pandemic

In common with other parts of the live performance sector, and in line with advice from the UK Government and health authorities, Talawa Theatre Company staff transferred to working from home, releasing updates on company activity in early May 2020 and late September 2020. In common with many theatre companies at a time when live performance was not possible, Talawa transferred activities online, holding advice and career development sessions, and developing work for release in digital or broadcast formats as part of ''Tales from the Front Line'' and ''Talawa Stories'' for BBC Radio 4. No Talawa staff were placed on furlough, made redundant or worked reduced hours.

''A Place for We''

In October 2019, Talawa announced the co-production with

Park Theatre (London) The Park Theatre opened in Finsbury Park, north LondonCecilia Sundstrom"Psychopaths, nudity and Maureen Lipman launch new Finsbury Park theatre" ''Hackney Gazette'', 27 March 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-01. in 2013. It describes itself as "a neighbo ...

of Archie Maddocks's debut play ''A Place for We'', which was first performed in a staged reading at Talawa Firsts 2018. Due to the

the production, which was to have played to audiences in May and June 2020, was postponed. ''A Place for We'' performed in a Talawa and Park Theatre co-production at Park Theatre in October 2021.

''Run It Back''

In January 2020, Talawa announced ''Run It Back'', a rave-inspired show with a live DJ set that had been originally devised by Talawa Theatre Company's TYPT 2018 company. ''Run It Back'' was to have opened the Talawa Studio at

and played from late March to early April 2020. Due to the

the production was postponed. Run It Back was announced as part of Talawa's 2021 season, performing in September 2021 and was well received by critics and audiences alike, with the Guardian's critic, Arifa Akbar describing it as "This is the purest enactment of 'black joy' – as a political act – I have seen in the past year".

''The Tide''

In February 2019, Talawa announced ''The Tide'', a Talawa Theatre Company, Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, and Breakin' Convention co-production, and Talawa's first ever show created exclusively for outdoor performance. ''The Tide'' played at Brighton Festival on 11 May, at Norfolk & Norwich Festival on 18 and 19 May and at Greenwich + Docklands International Festival on 29 June 2019. ''The Tide'' was also announced as part of Talawa's 2021 season, returning to the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival and also popping up in Croydon.

''Superhoe''

In October 2018, Talawa and

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

announced their co-production of ''Superhoe'' by Nicôle Lecky, which had previously been performed as a staged reading at Talawa Firsts in 2018. ''Superhoe'' tells the story of Sasha, a wannabe singer living with her mother and step-father in Plaistow, East London. A fraught relationship with them propels Sasha out into a world of cam and sex work, and Instagram fakery. There was praise for Lecky, with one reviewer writing: "performing her own raw and fiery solo piece, she's a revelation...." while another stated that the "slow reveal of all the ways in which Sasha has been neglected, damaged and violated is deeply affecting."

''Guys and Dolls''

Talawa announced their winter 2017 co-production with the

Royal Exchange Theatre The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...

of the

Damon Runyon Alfred Damon Runyon (October 4, 1880 – December 10, 1946) was an American newspaperman and short-story writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To ...

-inspired musical, ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'', the first UK production with an all-Black cast. Among the cast announced for ''Guys and Dolls'' were

Ray Fearon Raymond Fearon is an English actor. He played garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV's long-running soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and voiced the centaur Firenze in the Wizarding World film series ''Harry Potter'' and ''Fantastic Beasts''. ...

, Ashley Zhanghazha, Abiona Omonua, and Lucy Vandi. ''Guys and Dolls'' played at Manchester's

in an extended run from December 2017 to February 2018. Reviews had particular praise for the music, direction, relocation to

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

and sense of spectacle. As

Lyn Gardner Lyn Gardner is a British theatre critic, children's writer and journalist who contributes reviews and articles to ''The Stage,'' '' Stagedoor'' and has written for ''The Guardian''. Theatre critic and educator A graduate in drama and English from ...

noted in ''The Guardian'', "the gamblers ... are a bunch of sharp-suited peacocks clad in rainbow hues." The reviewer for ''The Times'' wrote: "Whoever had the idea of moving this classic musical from one part of New York to another bit, just up the road, needs to be congratulated. This version of

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

's musical, which swirls around the lives of the petty gangsters and their 'dolls' who inhabit New York's underbelly, moves the action to Harlem at its prewar height in 1939. It is a Talawa production with an all-black cast and it is terrific from the get-go." ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' noted: "Relocated to Harlem, this fine new production of Frank Loesser’s classic musical retains a threat of violence under a cartoon-bright exterior."

''Half Breed''

Described variously as a story about growing up mixed-race, and as a story about friendship, Half Breed was written by Natasha Marshall and first performed at Talawa Firsts 2016 before being developed further by both Talawa and the Soho Theatre. That same partnership presented ''Half Breed'' at Edinburgh in summer 2017. At the time Marshall said: "My whole life I've been holding my breath but when I perform Half-Breed I feel like I'm breathing. I want to bring something real and different to the Fringe. I want to create a conversation, I want to open people's minds up." ''Half Breed'' was nominated as a "Best New Play" at the UK Theatre Awards. ''Half Breed'' was also nominated for the "Best New Play", "Best Female Performance" and "Most Promising New Playwright" awards in the Offies, an award presented by Off-West End. ''Half Breed'' had a sell-out London run following its success at Edinburgh. The co-production of ''Half Breed'' toured India in autumn 2017, where it was well received by audiences and critics alike. ''Half Breed'' toured the UK in Spring 2018 as a co-production between Talawa Theatre Company and

Soho Theatre The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces. The the ...

. ''Half Breed'' was also broadcast on

BBC4 BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

in April 2021 as part of "Culture in Quarantine".

''Girls''

Also in 2016, Talawa also co-produced the award-winning play by

, ''Girls'', the story of three young women kidnapped by extremists. ''The Times'' referred to ''Girls'' as "Scorchingly intelligent and as powerful as a gut punch", while '' Time Out'' called it "clever, audacious, entertaining and full of promise." Theresa Ikoko commented on her experience of working with Talawa to get the story produced, saying: "This isn't the first play I've written, but it's my first produced play. The first play I wrote, I didn't really know it was a play, it was just for me. I would read it over the phone to my friend and when I'd finished he said I had to show it to someone. Talawa Theatre Company found me and rtistic directorMichael Buffong put that play in a Talawa Firsts show, and I got signed by my agent there ... Talawa completely took a chance on me. I had no training or experience or credentials, and there was no one to offer a reference. But Michael believed in me. It took me forever though, probably until the opening night of Girls at HighTide, for me to believe him." In 2017, ''Girls'' went on tour with a new cast, having first played at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...

, where it was presented as part of the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

Edinburgh Showcase.

''King Lear''

In October 2015, Talawa announced a new production of

's ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'' starring

in the title role. ''

'' was co-produced with the

in Manchester. Reviews singled out the production for being "as close to definitive as can be", "a significant production" and "outstanding".

's performance as King Lear was described as "a heartbreaking tour de force". In late June 2016, Talawa Theatre Company announced the film of ''King Lear'', in a collaboration with the

and funded by the digital commissioning body The Space. The film was available to view on-demand and free of charge on

BBC iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets, personal computers and smart televisions. iPlayer services del ...

and the

's websites for three months in summer 2016, ahead of a cinema release in September and October 2016, and closed 2016 by being screened on

BBC4 BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

on Christmas Day.

''All My Sons''

Talawa Theatre Company toured a revival of

's ''

All My Sons ''All My Sons'' is a three-act play written in 1946 by Arthur Miller. It opened on Broadway at the Coronet Theatre in New York City on January 29, 1947, closed on November 8, 1949, and ran for 328 performances. It was directed by Elia Kazan (t ...

'' in Spring 2015.Andrew Clarke
"All My Sons review"
''The Stage'', 18 February 2015.Anne Morley-Priestman

''What's On Stage'', 18 February 2015. Critics described the production as "heart wrenching", noting that "Talawa's contribution to the Arthur Miller centenary ... is a worthwhile one" and one that "ratchets up the tension".

''Moon on a Rainbow Shawl''

The 2013–14 production was a revival of ''

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl ''Moon on a Rainbow Shawl'' is a 1957 play written by Trinidadian actor-playwright Errol John. Described as "ground-breaking" and "a breakthrough in Britain for black writing," the play has been produced and revived worldwide since its premiere ...

'' by

Errol John Errol John (20 December 1924 – 10 July 1988) was a Trinidad and Tobago actor and playwright who emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1951. Biography Early years in Trinidad John was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on 20 December 1924, the ...

that was directed by Michael Buffong, which toured across the UK, in addition to playing at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

. Critics described the show as "an absolute must-see" "a well-crafted slow burner" and "treats the characters as real people rather than outrageous exotics ... Justice, you feel, has at last been done ..."

References

External links

Talawa Theatre Company website.
* Nisha Obano
"Talawa Theatre Company"
in ''Encyclopedia of AfroEuropean Studies''.

Victoria and Albert Museum: Theatre Collections. {{Authority control Arts organizations established in 1986 Black British culture in London Black British history Black theatre Theatre companies in London Theatre companies in the United Kingdom