We give voice to the Black British experience and support talent. http://www.talawa.com/ Jonathan Brown writes in Monday's Independent:

'Hats off to the super tramps in a gloriously groundbreaking Godot.'

'..in places the patois, although this is too strong a word, adds cadences and intervals perhaps not previously struck. The simple appearance of black actors - admittedly such fine ones as Patrick Robinson, Jeffery Kissoon, Cornell S John and Guy Burgess - transforms the symbolism.'

'..he (Beckett) would have approved of this too.'

On tour from 6th March. Click on the link below for full details. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=227 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=227 'Like all Brown's productions, GODOT is crisp, clear and asuredly crafted.'

Read the full review by Clare Brennan in this Sunday's Observer and find out who is going to succeed Ian Brown as Director at West Yorkshire Playhouse. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=226 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=226 Vladimir and Estragon scrubbed up to sit on the sofa at the BBC this week.

Click on the link below to see Jeffery and Patrick interviewed. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=224 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=224 Poet, essayist and playwright Gabriel Bbadamosi gives WAITING FOR GODOT a great review.

Click on the link below. The review starts about 36.10 minutes in. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=223 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=223 'Brown's boldest stroke lies in the figure of Guy Burgess' hapless Lucky - lackey to the overbearing Pozzo - so ghostly pale, you wonder if he's playing "white".'

Read the full review below http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=222 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=222 'The dishevelled, disheartened duo of Patrick Robinson and Jeffery Kissoon bring plenty of bumbling charm and humour to Estragon and Vladimir, locked in their endless cycles of chatter, distraction and consuming of carrots and turnips.'

Read the full review below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=221 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=221 "Jeffery Kissoon and Patrick Robinson brilliantly bicker in the manner of an old married couple. Cornell S John's journey from arrogance to blindness places Pozzo on the tragic axis of Oedipus and the Duke of Gloucester, while Guy Burgess' single speech, delivered in a thick Brummie accent, makes Lucky's outpouring of gibberish seem like a short, independent Beckett play in itself.'

Read the review in full by clicking on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=220 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=220 Andrew Dickson's article in The Guardian this week sparked some lively commentary.

Pat Cumper, Talawa's Artistic Director said, 'WAITING FOR GODOT is a 20th century classic and all classics deserve to be fully explored. This production is one such exploration. We invite audiences to come and see it for themselves.'

To read the full article and the comments click on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=219 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=219 Ian Brown, Jeffery Kissoon and Patrick Robinson were featured in an interview on Front Row on Monday 30th January.

You can listen to the piece again by downloading the podcast - just click on the link below.

And if you always miss Front Row because at 7.15pm it's bath-time, tea-time or just on at an inconvenient time, subscribe to the podcast. It's free - just click on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=218 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=218 Richard H Smith has been photographing Talawa's productions for years.

He's up in Leeds today photographing WAITING FOR GODOT before the first preview tonight and the press night on Tuesday 7th February.

His image of Shango Baku in RUM AND COCA COLA is one of my personal favourites (you can see a larger version than this on Flickr).

Check out our photostream by clicking on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=217 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=217 On Friday 3rd February, it's the first preview of WAITING FOR GODOT at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Fisayo Akinade writes, "This week has been spent working and re-working Acts one and two. And from what I saw yesterday, it's going to be brilliant."

To read the rest of his blog, click on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=216 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=216 Patrick and Jeffery were interviewed by the Yorkshire Evening Post this week.

Talking about his recent experience with Kim Cattrall in a stage version of Antony and Cleopatra, Jeffery says, 'Do you know she would not kiss me?....She insisted that towels were laid everywhere to catch the beads of sweat that came off me.'

To read more including how they feel about playing Vladimir and Estragon in WAITING FOR GODOT click on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=215 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=215 This week, Pat returned to Leeds for an interview and popped into rehearsals. She writes,

"The first thing I notice is how much sharper the movement has become, each actor expressing his character’s inner world with gestures and posture as much as with the words. Gogo and Didi look more vulnerable, Pozzo more grand. Lucky’s spine curves with weariness, then straightens as he pours out the words of his impossibly long monologue."

Read the rest of her blog by clicking on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=214 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=214 Fisayo Akinade, The Boy in Waiting for Godot, has been keeping a diary of rehearsals at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.

Previews are only a week and a half away, and he reflects on what it's like for him to be away from the rehearsal room for most of the day as the cast starts to run through the piece. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=213 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=213 Jeffery Kissoon in an interview for WhatsOnStage is in no doubt: nearly 60 years after its first production, Samuel Beckett's WAITING FOR GODOT is still wonderful and strange.

Directed by Ian Brown, this is the first WAITING FOR GODOT in the UK to be staged with an all black cast.

Read the full interview with Jeffery by clicking on the link below.

WAITING FOR GODOT is at the West Yorkshire Playhouse from 3 - 25 February and then tours to The Albany (6 - 10 March), The Old Rep, Birmingham (13 - 17 March), Winchester Theatre Royal (27 - 31 March) and the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (3 - 7 April). http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=212 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=212 Michael Buffong will assume his post of Artistic Director of Talawa on Monday 19th March.

His most recent projects include MOON ON A RAINBOW SHAWL (Royal National Theatre) - from March 2012; PASSING WIND (Talawa); THE INFIDEL (Theatre Royal Stratford East); CONGO ILIAD (National Theatre Studio) and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (Leicester Curve).

Talawa will announce his future artistic plans for the Company in March. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=211 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=211 It's week three of rehearsals for Waiting for Godot at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds.

Follow the progress of the cast by clicking on the link to our blog at the top of this page.

Fisayo Akinade (The Boy) has taken over writing the blog from Pat Cumper.

Through The Boy's eyes is his day by day account of the rehearsal process.

And check out the rehearsal shots taken by Richard H. Smith by clicking on the link below.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=210 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=210 Friday 20th January
3pm - 5pm
at Talawa, 53 - 55 East Road, London N1 6AH

FREE

To book: hq@talawa.com

Jonathan Man in conversation with Patricia Cumper, Artistic Director, Talawa Theatre Company.

Over the last year, freelance director Jonathan Man has visited the U.S. and China meeting local theatre practitioners and companies to see what intercultural opportunities might lie ahead for independent artists and organisations working in the U.K. or wanting to work trans-nationally.

This talk is an opportunity to meet with Jonathan to discuss his findings, meet with other theatre makers and to explore creative possibilities for the future.

To book: hq@talawa.com
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=209 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=209 Rehearsals for WAITING FOR GODOT start at the West Yorkshire Playhouse today.

The cast is:

Jeffery Kissoon (Vladimir) - pictured
Patrick Robinson (Estragon)
Cornell S John (Pozzo)
Guy Burgess (Lucky)
Fisayo Akinado (The Boy)

Directed by Ian Brown, this is the first time in the UK that an all Black cast will perform Samuel Beckett's poetic masterpiece.

Talking about what an all Black cast will bring to the piece, Pat Cumper said,

"The temptation can be to try and impose a world on the play in order to make your production stand out. If it's to have a Black cast, why not place it in West Africa or the Caribbean? Why not a baobab tree and red earth? The answer has to be because WAITING FOR GODOT creates its own world. The text and the events of the play have their own inner logic. There is no need to impose a concept as Beckett was quite clear This is the play, this is all the play is, and the directors and actors have to trust it. I am tremendously excited by what will happen when the richness of the actors' experience meets the text in the rehearsal room. It will be a Godot that looks and sounds like no other. Fine British actors whose roots reflect the complexity of Empire's legacy bringing one of the 20th century's best plays to the stage. I can't wait." http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=208 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=208 MADNESS, MEDICATION AND ME created by Kindred MInds with Talawa Theatre Company was last night performed in front of an audience of family, friends, clinical psychologists, University professors, applied Theatre students, fellow service users and staff from the charity MIND.

Inequality in mental health services has been the subject of on-going debate and study for decades. It is well documented that people from BME communities (particularly African and African-Caribbean) fare worse than their European counterparts under the British mental health system.

Kindred MInds is a BME service user-led group set up to raise awareness of mental health issues and to campaign for improvements in services.

Over the last few months Kindred Minds have been working with Talawa reflecting on their own experiences of life and the mental health system. The performance last night resulted from that work. It was the participants' first venture into theatre in a mainstream setting.

As one of the participants said, 'Thank you so very much for this very scary but empowering experience.'

An important project with a significant outcome. Well done to everyone who showed so much bravery in taking part.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=207 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=207 It's been a busy year at Talawa. We've been celebrating our 25th anniversary by doing what we do best: reviving a lost classic and reinventing an existing one, stimulating debate and looking for the voices of tomorrow.

The 25th anniversary celebrations come to a conclusion in Spring 2012 when we co-produce WAITING FOR GODOT with an all Black cast, directed by Ian Brown, at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and on tour. Watch this space for the cast announcement in January.

Patricia Cumper will be leaving Talawa as Artistic Director in March 2012 to be succeeded by Michael Buffong. We'll be announcing his plans for Talawa in the early part of 2012.

Meanwhile, take a look at this year's productions on Flickr: THE COLORED MUSEUM, KRUNCH and #I AM ENGLAND. And go to http://www.blackbritish.me to give us your answer to the question, 'To you what does Black British mean now?' http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=206 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=206 Waiting for Godot is now fully cast. Watch this space for details. At this point, all I can tell you is that they are a fine group of Black British actors and this GODOT will look and sound like no other!

The tour dates are now confirmed as:

WEST YORKSHIRE PLAYHOUSE, LEEDS
3rd - 25th February 2012

THE ALBANY, LONDON
6th - 10th March

OLD REP, BIRMINGHAM
13th - 17th March

THEATRE ROYAL, WINCHESTER
27th - 31st March

NEW WOLSEY THEATRE, IPSWICH
3rd - 7th April http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=205 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=205 On 19th December, Gail Babb and the Participation team will be continuing their work with the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital's NHS Trust.

NHS staff will receive forum theatre style training at the Healthcare Assistants Conference which is taking place in Brighton. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=204 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=204 Kindred Mind, a BAME mental health service user group, with whom Talawa has worked extensively, will be performing MEDICATION at Oval House on 20th December, 7pm.

A devised play, it reflects the participants' experiences within and without the mental health service.

Talawa has been working with the group since May 2011, providing drama and writing workshops. This performance is the culmination of that work.

Tickets are free. Please email Gail Babb if you would like to attend: gail@talawa.com http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=203 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=203 Gail Babb, Talawa's Participation and Education Officer, will be attending an Arts Education Forum organised by the London Bubble on 12th December.

It's an opportunity for people involved in the Arts and Education to get together and talk about the field. Initially run by ITC, the event lost its staffing but has now re-gained momentum as London Bubble have taken over the reins.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=202 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=202 EXPLORING THE CANON 2
The Cottesloe, Wednesday 16th November

Patricia Cumper, Talawa's Artistic Director, has chosen to nominate Dona Daley's play BLEST BE THE TIE to the canon of British theatre. Here she explains whey she chose it,

"The play takes an affectionate and entertaining look at what happens when family members are separated by immigration. This universal story looks at the immigrant experience from a fresh angle, tracing the ties that may weaken but are never broken by distance and circumstance. It documents the life of a member of the Windrush generation, a generation that is now passing on, and pays tribute to their hardiness and will to survive. The writer's voice is fresh and honest and the play corrects a few misconceptions about who comes to live in England and what they gain or lose by so doing. Finally, it is a story about Black women and the friendships that nourish them told by a Black woman, an all too rare occurrence. For all these reasons, BLEST BE THE TIE by the late Dona Daly deserves to be revived and included in the canon of British theatre." http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=201 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=201 Talawa is performing an extract from Donna Daley's BLEST BE THE TIE at the Cottesloe on 16th November, 10am - 4pm as part of Exploring the Canon 2.

The event features work from the BAME canon that the Artistic Directors of leading diverse theatre and performance companies think should be considered as modern classics.

The companies taking part in the event are: Talawa Theatre Company, Tamasha, Spare Tyre, Collective Artistes, Extant, Kali, Yellow Earth, Upswing and Tiata Fahodzi.

The nine nominated performance pieces are:

A FINE BALANCE (adapted by Sudha Buchar and Kristine Landon-Smith)
SOMEONE (choreographed by Housni Hassan)
TI-JEAN AND HIS BROTHERS (Derek Walcott)
BLOOD, SWEAT AND FEARS (Maria Oshodi)
BLEST BE THE TIE (Donna Daley)
ZAMEEN (Satinder Kaur Chohan)
SKIN (choreographed by Upswing)
THREE FAT VIRGINS (Ovidia Yu)
THE RISE AND SHINE OF COMRADE FIASCO (Andrew Whaley)

The Artistic Directors that have selected the work will participate in a Q&A at the end of the afternoon.

Exploring the Canon 2 is presented by The London Hub which grew out of the ACE Sustained Theatre initiative.


http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=200 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=200 This year is the 15th anniversary of the Alfred Fagon Award which was set up in memory of Alfred Fagon (a key British playwright of the 70's and 80's) following his untimely death in 1989.

The shortlist for this year's Award - which will be held at the Royal National Theatre on 28th November - is: Levi David Addai, Cynthia Bernard, Lorna French, Ros Olawale Martin, Rex Obano, J E Okoh, Mwewa Sumbwanyambe.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=199 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=199 Ian Brown directs an all Black WAITING FOR GODOT at the West Yorkshire Playhouse 3-25 February 2012.

WAITING FOR GODOT is one of the most significant English language plays of the 20th century.

A funny and poetic masterpiece, the play gently and intelligently speaks about what it is to be human.

Casting has begun and the initial set designs have been presented.

Pat Cumper, Talawa's Artistic Director, has dreamed of doing an all Black WAITING FOR GODOT for a while. Luckily for us, Ian Brown and the West Yorkshire Playhouse were interested in the idea!

The play opens at West Yorkshire before embarking on a short UK tour. Details to be announced shortly. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=198 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=198 Pauline Walker, producer for the London Hub, is based in Talawa's office in Old Street.

She is also an emerging writer and last friday her 2nd play, 24hr Divas, was previewed at Rich Mix to a sold out audience.

Set in an upmarket 24 hour Black hair salon, the play takes a comic look at why Black women do what they do with their hair!

The work was really well received by the audience who laughed in all the right places and more! Pauline is hoping to tour the piece in 2012.

She can be contacted at walker.pdw@gmail.com

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=197 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=197 Gail Babb, Talawa's Participation and Education Officer, has been busy throughout Black History Month. Over the past 4 weeks Gail and her team have undertaken workshop in prisons, primary schools, secondary schools, universities and colleges both in and out of London.

Next week she will be in East Sussex at the launch of the NHS's BAME network to undertake a forum theatre workshop on tackling racism and supporting BAME staff within the NHS.

For information on the range of Gail's work go the the Participation section of this website. Gail can be contacted at gail@talawa.com http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=196 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=196 The show ends this Sunday and there are still tickets left. Weekend performances are at 1pm, 3.30pm and 7pm. You could have lunch in the cafe, hang out in the Courtyard, check out some of the exhibits, do the Spotlight on Africa trail and see THE COLORED MUSEUM. Where else can you get that much entertainment under one roof!

"A brave and intelligent piece of theatre." So So Gay

"The five members of the cast are all terrific, and the show's sly humour is encapsulated in Miss Pat's exhortation: 'Don't leave behind your baggage - it will be trashed." The Guardian ***

"The audacity of the writing, coupled with the crackling energy of the acting makes this provocative exhibition well worth a visit." The Times ***



http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=195 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=195 It's Black History Month, Woman's Hour discussed dual heritage this week and The Colored Museum is on at one of the world's most prestigious museums.

What better time to contribute to #BlackBritish?

Log on to the link below and answer this question,

'To you, what does Black British mean now?'

You'll have to be concise. This being 2011, we've only given you 140 characters for your answer.

Talking of Twitter, you can follow us at talawatheatreco.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=194 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=194 Talawa has appointed Michael Buffong as its new Artistic Director. He will replace Patricia Cumper in early 2012.

Michael says, "I am delighted to be given the opportunity to take on this immense and challenging role. As Talawa enters its 25th year I look forward to leading the company into a new and exciting phase, and engaging our audience with excellent memorable theatre."

Ben Yeoh, Chairman of Talawa's Board says, "I’m delighted that Michael is coming to Talawa. He has a brilliant track record as a director and his vision for Talawa is passionate, exciting and brimming with ideas. He came through a highly talented
list of candidates, which speaks well for the talent of our theatre generation. I would also like to express my thanks and admiration to Pat Cumper for all the great work she has done at Talawa and the
fantastic legacy she is passing on."
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=193 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=193 Gail Babb, Talawa's Participation and Education Officer, has some limited space available if you require a workshop during Black History Month.

Please contact her on 020 251 6644 or email Gail@talawa.com

This year Gail is working with: HMS Wandsworth Prison (spoken word and theatre workshop), Bishop Challoner Collegiate School (identity and community), Year 6 at Preston Park Primary School (Black historical figures) and Northwest College (contemporary Britain) amongst others.

For background information on the work of Talawa's Participation and Education Department, go to the relevant section of this website. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=192 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=192 The cast for The Colored Museum has been confirmed as:

Ashley Campbell, Terry Doe, Akiya Henry, Gbemisola Ikumelo and Alana Maria.

Between the five of them, they will
play the 11 living 'exhibits' in the imagined cultural museum.

Rehearsals with Don Warrington (Director), Jonathan Fensom (Set and Costume Designer), Joseph Young (Sound designer), Dominique Le Gendre (Musical director), Marc Forde (musician) and Omar Okai (choreographer) started this week.

The Colored Museum will be on at the V&A for 14 performances only this October. Click below or go to production information, to find out more. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=191 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=191 Have you been on the site yet and given your answer to the question:

TO YOU, WHAT DOES BLACK BRITISH MEAN NOW?

If not, just click on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=190 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=190 Musical director Dominique Le Gendre joined Pat Cumpber, Talawa's Artistic Director and Don Warrington, director of The Colored Museum for auditions this week.

The call went out to actors with a strong musical theatre background, and the casting team were blown away by the talent they've seen so far.

Auditions continue next week. The full cast will be announced at the beginning of September.

The Colored Museum will be at the V&A 15 - 23 October. See the link below for more details. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=189 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=189 The TYPT participants are in the final throes of rehearsals before leaving our studio to go to Lilian Baylis for their tech week.

Catch up with them on Talawa's blog and look at Oyin Solebo's rehearsal photos on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/talawa_theatre_company/)

You'll be able to catch the company in the N1 Shopping Centre, Islington on 27 August, 1pm.

They will be performing #I am England at the Lilian Baylis 25 - 27 August, 7.45pm. Click on the link below for more details. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=188 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=188 Do you have any video footage or photographs which look at the last 25 years of Britishness? Talawa Young People’s Theatre 2011 is exploring the changing face of Britain, and would love to hear from anyone who has captured, documented or explored Black Britishness. If you have anything you think our talented young people might find interesting, please get in touch with us at gail@talawa.com or 020 7251 6644. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=187 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=187 Please submit your answers to the question, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?' directly to the artwork which will be launched to the press and wider public early Autumn to accompany The Colored Museum at the V&A.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=186 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=186 Talawa presents George C. Wolfe's hilarious and thought-provoking show, The Colored Museum at the Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre in the V&A this Autumn.

Director, Don Warrington leads a crack creative team including:

Jason Taylor (Lighting Designer) whose credits include The Invisible Man (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Globe tour), Six Degrees of Separation (Old Vic), The Empire (Royal Court) and The Big Fellah (Out of Joint);

Jonathan Fensom (Set and Costume Designer) whose credits include The Goat/Any Given Day (Traverse), Six Degrees of Separation (Old Vic), Rain Man, Some Girls, Twelfth Night, Smaller, Blackbird (West End) and Henry IV part 1 and 2, King Lear, Love's Labour's Lost (Globe) and Big White Fog (Almeida);

Joseph Young (Sound Designer) a talented and innovative sound artist whose background is in performance and composition for theatre. As an artist he has performed at Tate Modern Whitechapel Gallery and The Basement, Brighton amongst others. For more information on Joe, check out artofnoises.wordpress.com

There will only be 14 performances of The Colored Museum from 15 - 23 October.

In addition to the shows Talawa has organised a talk lead by Dr. Robert Beckford with Bonnie Greer, amongst others, to discuss 'How do you decide which aspect of your experience and identity to retain and which to discard?'

In addition, take a look at the V&A's People Get Ready - The Protest Years 1970 - 2000 and Spotlight on Africa and The Diaspora.

To book and for more information, take a look at the production section of this website or go to the V&A - see the link below.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=185 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=185 HOUSE OF ZERQUERA by Atiha Sen Gupta - the last reading in the Flipping the Script series on 28th July - will now take place in the Maria at the Young Vic so there are more tickets available. See the link below to book.

HOUSE OF ZERQUERA takes a nostalgic look at Cuba and communism. Zerquera is a staunch Cuban communist and revolutionary. Struggling to hold on to his grand house, he is forced to rent rooms to tourists. However, his son is eager to leave Cuba and illegally brings a British Asian girl to stay to make a quick buck. Her romantic search for the ideals of the revolution exposes the dark sides of Zerquera, Cuba and herself.

Atiha Sen Gupta has been writing short plays, long plays and everything in between since she was 14 years old and part of the drama youth group – the HEAT AND LIGHT company – based in Hampstead Theatre in London. In October 2009, her first full-length play WHAT FATIMA DID was produced on Hampstead Theatre’s main stage. Since then, Atiha has written two more full-length plays: one about the triumphs and the tragedies of the Cuban Revolution (THE HOUSE OF ZERQUERA) and the other about army culture in Israel. She has also written for e4’s TV show for young people, SKINS

Director, Anthonette Isioma is passionate about story telling. She has been training with the Young Vic and Stonecrabs Theatre since graduating with a BA (Hons) in English Literature, Drama, Theatre and Performance from Roehampton University. Directing credits include: BE FRANK (Intermission Theatre) and LATE BUS TO MECCA (Albany Theatre). She recently assisted at the Islington Community Theater and Oval House. She also freelances as a writer and has completed the Royal Court’s Young Writers Programme. She is soon to start her MA in Theatre Directing at RADA in September 2011.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=184 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=184 After five successful years at Talawa, Patricia Cumper will be stepping down to pursue a freelance career in early 2012.

For the last 25 years Talawa has nurtured, developed and supported talent and has given a voice to the Black British experience. It has cultivated audiences and enriched British Theatre.

The Board now welcomes a sole or joint application for an Artistic Director, who will be a talented and inspirational leader with an ambitious vision for leading Talawa beyond its 25th year.

Salary, depending on experience, £40K+ or pro rata for joint applicants.

For further details and an application form call
020 7251 6644 or email recruitment@talawa.com

Closing date 15 August
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=182 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=182 #BlackBritish is nearlng completion. Everton Wright and Derek Richards came into the office the other day to show us the artwork in its final stages. The piece is made from your answers to the question, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?' Multi-coloured dots, each one representing an answer to the question, skim across the screen before coalescing into various portraits of Black Britons. #BlackBritish has a tranquil, contemplative feel about it which is refreshing and the variety of answers to the question is fascinating.

The piece will be live on our website in the next couple of weeks. Please interact with it and give us your answer to the question - the more the merrier! All the answers will automatically be posted to Twitter and Facebook.

In the meantime, you can tweet your answer using #BlackBritish. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=181 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=181 Black Arts Production Theatre Ltd led by Richard Reid, who is currently working at Talawa under the StepChange programme run by the National Theatre, will launch its project Keeping Young People Safe on 1st July in Talawa's studio.

The project uses drama workshops to identify the daily challenges that young people face. The topics the project will explore include: bullying, robbery, speaking out, disrespect, reporting crime, drugs, guns and knife crime.

For more information contact Richard at stepchange@talawa.com

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=180 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=180 Take Me 2 Manhattan will be read as part of Flipping the Script at the Young Vic on 22nd June. Written by Maxine Quintyne-Kolaru and directed by Erica Miller,
rehearsals commence at Talawa's studio on 21st.

The cast is: Stacha Hicks, Fiston Barek, Sophie Benjamin and Dina Mouswasi.

The final Flipping the Script reading, takes place on 28th July. The House of Zerquera written by Atiha Sen Gupta and directed by Anthonette Isioma is selling fast. Click below to book. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=179 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=179 Talawa's series of playreadings featuring the best in new Black British writing continues on 22nd June with Maxine Quintyne-Kolaru's Take Me 2 Manhattan.

Maxine was shortlisted for the Alfed Fagon Award in 2006 and 2009. She was also shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award in 2007. She received a rehearsed reading of her full length play Shredder at the Royal Court in 2008. In the same year her short play Dislocated received a rehearsed reading at Edinburgh's Forest Fringe Theatre. In 2010 her short plays Mirror and What IF received a script in hand performance at Soho Theatre and as part of Islington Community Theatre, respectively. In the same year she was selected by the Tristan Bates Theatre to take part in their Ignition Programme and worked collaboratively with a director and actors to produce a new short play Bracewell, at the Tristan Bates Theatre, about young Caribbeans who came to London in the late 50's and early 60's. Maxine is currently working with Gary Beadle to develop Bracewell Road into a television series. She has had an attachment with Clean Break Theatre and an attachment with the Royal Court Theatre. She recently completed a full length play as part of the Royal Court's Super Group of writers, as well as being part of the Royal Court's Critical Mass Group for Black Writers and Invitation Group. Maxine is also part of the Writer's Group at Soho Theatre.

Take Me 2 Manhattan will be directed by Erica Miller.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=177 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=177 #BlackBritish, a commissioned piece of original digital art from artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards, will be live on our website this month.

#BlackBritish will be built from your answers to the question, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?'

Put your thinking cap on! If you're in need of inspiration read David Lambert's poem BBB, specially written for Talawa:

Being Black British
In succinct alliteration
Says who I am.
Not Who am I?
It hitches
My culture to my passport,
Identity to ID,
And spells me, me, me.
It means I love ackee and apple crumble,
Brighton and Blanchisseuse beach,
And cheer Becks as hard as Bolt.
I choose callalloo or cabbage,
A Carlsberg or a Carib
And go downtown or dong tong
As the mood takes me....
(and so on through the alphabet
To zabouca to Zed cars).
Being Black and British
Means
Not being Black or British.
An end to either / or.
It means Being Both,
Being more
Than the sum
Of my parts.
It means being here.
Now.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=175 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=175 Gail Babb, Talawa's Participation and Education Officer, will be leading a piece of forum theatre in Sussex on 16th May.

She will be joined by actors, Anthony Lennon, Sapphire Joy and Lateisha Lovelace-Hanson.

Last year, Gail worked with the BAME Network for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust (BSUH) on a conference about racism.

Talawa was invited to lead 3 workshops under the titles: The Interview, Racism on Duty and Not One of Us.

After being presented with case studies of instances of racism within the trust, Talawa's Participation team created short forum pieces to provoke debate and explore solutions with conference delegates.

After watching the performances, delegates were invited to interact with the main character, advising them on what they should do next and taking their place within the scene to see if a more positive outcome could be achieved for them.

For more information on Talawa's Participation and Education work, click on PARTICIPATION at the top of this page. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=174 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=174 Femi Elufowoju, jr will direct Passing Wind, Oladipo Agboluaje's new piece commissioned by Talawa, for the Pulse Fringe Festival. A freelance theatre practitioner, he has directed plays across the country including the Salisbury Playhouse and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

He was recently elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of his work with Tiata Fahodzi, which he founded and led artistically for 13 years. His production for the Company, Iya-Ile at Soho Theatre, received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement at the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards.

Oladipo Agboluaje is a British born writer, educated in Nigeria. His work includes The Estate (Soho Theatre/Tiata Fahodzi), The Hounding of David Oluwale (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Eclipse), Iya-Ile (Soho Theatre/Tiata Fahodzi) and The Garbage King (Unicorn Theatre). http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=173 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=173 The deadline for applying to this year's Talawa Young People's Theatre (TYPT:11) has passed.

Auditions will be held on 14th and 15th May at Talawa's studios.

12 young people will then work intensively throughout August with the TYPT team and director, Nazli Tabatabai Khatambakhsh taking inspiration from THIS IS ENGLAND 1986-2011.

If you want to follow this year's participants check out TYPT on Facebook. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=172 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=172 #BlackBritish is nearing completion. I've just checked its progress live and it's looking good! From the middle of May, you will be able to interact with the piece through our website. Watch this space for details and, in the meantime, why don't you send us your response to be included in the piece?

All you need to do is answer this question in no more than 140 characters, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?'

Send your response via Twitter #BlackBritish or email hq@talawa.com

If you're looking for inspiration, read on...

Being Black British (BBB) by David Lambert

Being Black British
In succinct alliteration
Says who I am.
Not Who am I?
It hitches
My culture to my passport,
Identity to ID,
And spells me, me, me.
It means I love ackee and apple crumble,
Brighton and Blanchisseuse beach,
And cheer Becks as hard as Bolt.
I choose callalloo or cabbage,
A Carlsberg or a Carib
And go downtown or dong tong
As the mood takes me....
(and so on through the alphabet
To zabouca to Zed cars).
Being Black and British
Means
Not being Black or British.
An end to either / or.
It means Being Both,
Being more
Than the sum
Of my parts.
It means being here.
Now.



http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=170 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=170 #BlackBritish is nearing completion. I've just checked its progress live and it's looking good! From the middle of May, you will be able to interact with the piece through our website. Watch this space for details and, in the meantime, why don't you send us your response to be included in the piece?

All you need to do is answer this question in no more than 140 characters, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?'

Send your response via Twitter #BlackBritish or email hq@talawa.com

If you're looking for inspiration, read on...

Being Black British (BBB) by David Lambert

Being Black British
In succinct alliteration
Says who I am.
Not Who am I?
It hitches
My culture to my passport,
Identity to ID,
And spells me, me, me.
It means I love ackee and apple crumble,
Brighton and Blanchisseuse beach,
And cheer Becks as hard as Bolt.
I choose callalloo or cabbage,
A Carlsberg or a Carib
And go downtown or dong tong
As the mood takes me....
(and so on through the alphabet
To zabouca to Zed cars).
Being Black and British
Means
Not being Black or British.
An end to either / or.
It means Being Both,
Being more
Than the sum
Of my parts.
It means being here.
Now.



http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=171 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=171 Grant Buchanan Marshall's WALKING TO OBAMA, which vividly re-captures pre-civil rights America, will be read at the Young Vic on 10th May as part of Flipping the Script - showcasing the best in Black British writing.

The reading will be directed by Monique Sterling and features actors Stephanie Yamson, Chucky Venice, Denise Orita, Peter Banks and Simon Naylor.

Tickets are £7 in advance and £9 on the day. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=169 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=169 You have just over one week to apply for Talawa's annual summer school TYPT:11.

We are looking for twelve committed young people to work with a professional team for four weeks to produce an original piece of theatre.

If you're interested in taking part - and it is a remarkable opportunity, just see the testimonials from past participants in the Participation section of this website - click on the link below for details and how to apply. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=168 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=168 Talawa's series of play readings showcasing the best in new Black British writing begins on 10th May with Grant Buchanan Marshall's WALKING TO OBAMA (Directed by Monique Sterling).

Grant's first venture as a writer for theatre was in 1982 with THE BROTHERS JOHNSTONE, which was performed for one night only at the Venn Street Arts Centre in Huddersfield. The piece was produced as a result of his experience as the drama editor at Scan magazine, reviewing plays and films in Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds.

He continued to write whilst working with various local school and community theatre groups, and pursuing a career as a DJ. In 1992 he moved to South East London to study theatre writing at the Rose Bruford College.

His first writing success was when his play THE PRAYER won the Alfred Fagon Award and went on to be staged by Talawa at the Young Vic.

SOLDIER BOY followed and featured in Radio 4's Coming of Age series; LONG TIME NO SEE stirred media interest and was featured on Newsnight and in an article for in the New York Times. It was produced by Talawa at the Stratford Circus, and described by The Voice as 'a stunning piece of work'.

Grant is currently working on three pieces; PEOPLE'S HOME, REVOLVER and GOING HOME.

WALKING TO OBAMA will be directed by Monique Sterling who is currently Resident Assistant Director at the Royal Court.

Her directing credits include: DADDIE DIE (Holy Trinity Church, Dalston), IN THE SOLITUDE OF COTTON FIELDS (Young Vic), A CERTAIN CHILD (Michael Frayn Studio), MYSTICAL AWAKENING EXTRAVAGANZA (BAC), TUESDAY (Soho Theatre) ACHE (Baron's Court Theatre) and DINNER PARTY (George Wood Theatre).

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=167 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=167 'To you, what does Black British mean now?'

Artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards are building an artwork from your answers to this question as part of Talawa's 25th year anniversary celebrations.

In the 1980s did Black British mean the Brixton Riots and Soul to Soul?

In the 1990s was it Lewis Hamilton and Elmina's Kitchen?

Or is it a full English breakfast with plantain and hot sauce? Eaten on a rainy day of course!

Tell us your answer in no more than 140 characters via Twitter #BlackBritish or email hq@talawa.com

You'll be able to interact with the artwork on our website from mid May.

We would love you to participate. If you're looking for inspiration see BBB by David Lambert, written especially for us:

Being Black British
In succinct alliteration
Says who I am.
Not Who am I?
It hitches
My culture to my passport,
Identity to ID,
And spells me, me, me.
It means I love ackee and apple crumble,
Brighton and Blanchisseuse beach,
And cheer Becks as hard as Bolt.
I choose callalloo or cabbage,
A Carlsberg or a Carib
And go downtown or dong tong
As the mood takes me....
(and so on through the alphabet
To zabouca to Zed cars).
Being Black and British
Means
Not being Black or British.
An end to either / or.
It means Being Both,
Being more
Than the sum
Of my parts.
It means being here.
Now.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=166 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=166 This year's playreadings will be directed by emerging talent from the Young Vic.

Monique Sterling who is directing Grant Buchanan Marshall's Walking to Obama on 10th May, is currently Resident Assistant Director at the Royal Court. She has previously worked at Hampstead, BAC and Soho Studio as well as the Young Vic.

Erica Miller, who is directing Maxine Quintyne-Kolaru's Take Me 2 Manhattan on 22nd June trained with Stonecrabs Theatre as well as the Young Vic. She has also worked at Soho Theatre, The Albany and the National Theatre Studio.

Anthonette Isioma will be directing House of Zerquera by Atiha Sen Gupta on 28th July. She has been training with the Young Vic and Stonecrabs since graduating from Roehampton University. She has worked at the Albany and Oval House. She recently finished the Royal Court's Young Writer's Programme.

For more information on Flipping the Script and to book, click on the link below. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=165 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=165 Talawa will be presenting a playreading of Oladipo Agboluaje's commissioned piece, Passing Wind (working title) at the Pulse Festival, Ipswich on 8th June.

Arrogant thespians, a ginger-haired drunk, a vindictive producer of trashy films: Okafor has contended with them all. He is on track to make the breakout Nollywood blockbuster; that is until everything falls apart of the last day of the shoot. Can he against all odds get his film back on track?

Passng Wind is an affectionate satire set in the vibrant world of the prolific Nigerian film industry.

Oladipo Agboluaje is a British born writer, educated in Nigeria. His work includes The Estate (Soho Theatre/Tiata Fahodzi), Ilya Ile (Soho Theatre/Tiata Fahodzi) and The Garbage King (Unicorn Theatre).

If you can't make it to Ipswich, we'll be uploading a podcast of the reading in mid June. And, assuming Chicken Licken is wrong about the sky falling, we are going to tour it in Autumn 2012. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=164 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=164 Talawa has commissioned a piece of digital artwork #BlackBritish? from artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards. The piece is being built from your answers to the question, 'To you, what does BlackBritish mean now?'

Tell us your answer in no more than 140 characters via Twitter #BlackBritish? or email hq@talawa.com

To inspire you, here are some of the answers we have already received:

#BlackBritish I am difficult to define, ethnically,
culturally, linguistically, nationality and that's just the way I am. SunRa Lambert-Baj

I'm Nigerian/American/Scottish/English. Therefore with Hunger and Determination I will be an AMBASSADOR 4 each #BlackBritish. Tyler Fayose

No more shoes begging for bread but just as much hassle on your head #BlackBritish. kolaruqoki
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=163 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=163 Talawa is offering for rent a serviced, recently renovated 12.25 sq m office to performing arts companies with charity status.

The office is very pleasant. Facilities include air conditioning, access to wifi and individual phone lines.

For full information please email hq@talawa.com http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=162 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=162 EVEWRIGHT, artist and Talawa's graphic designer, has lent Flowering Blue (see image) to publicise Flipping the Script following the success of Liquid Blue which publicised the season last year.

Check out his work Walking Drawings: Across the Estuaries at the Four Corners Film, Bethnal Green from 29 April - 11 June.

A Walking Drawing is a large scale drawing undertaken with a combination of freehand and mechanical tools on a vast landscape, in this case an estuary in North West England. The work combines the elements - sand, sea, air - to create a new way of making, seeing and experiencing drawing. The exhibition features film installation, photography and sculpture.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=161 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=161 Talawa Theatre Company is pleased to be an ACE National Portfolio Organisation.

Here's what Patricia Cumper, our Artistic Director says in light of this week's announcement:

"Talawa received a 22% cut. However, despite that we will continue to deliver quality work which includes our October production of George C. Wolfe's The Colored Museum at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Waiting for Godot with West Yorkshire Playhouse early in 2012. We are also working with award winning playwright Oladipo Agboluaje on a comedy to tour later that year.

We remain committed to taking theatre beyond the stage to explore issues around identity and Britain's many hidden histories, and to investing in the development of Britain's finest Black writers.

We are one of only three remaining Black led NPO theatre companies however and this has to be a cause of considerable concern for those who value diversity in British theatre."

Moira Sinclair, Executive Director London, says:

‘Talawa Theatre Company’s application was considered as making a good contribution to our goals. We want to support the organisation in its ambitions to create work by, about and for Black Britain and to tour it to mid-scale venues. With reduced resources available, we are asking organisations to assess their business models to make them more sustainable, and are looking forward to working with Talawa to help it to develop its impact and deliver its full potential towards our goals for AGAFE.’ http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=160 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=160 1st - 27th August

We are looking for twelve committed young people to take part in our summer school, Talawa Young People's Theatre (TYPT).

During TYPT you will work with leading theatre practitioners and create a piece of theatre for performances in a London venue.

For more information and how to apply click here: http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=159 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=159 Talawa Theatre Company is pleased to be an ACE National Portfolio Organisation.

Here's what Patricia Cumper, our Artistic Director says in light of today's announcement:

"Talawa received a 22% cut. However, despite that we will continue to deliver quality work which includes our October production of George C. Wolfe's The Colored Museum at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Waiting for Godot with West Yorkshire Playhouse early in 2012. We are also working with award winning playwright Oladipo Agboluaje on a comedy to tour later that year.

We remain committed to taking theatre beyond the stage to explore issues around identity and Britain's many hidden histories, and to investing in the development of Britain's finest Black writers.

We are one of only three remaining Black led NPO theatre companies however and this has to be a cause of considerable concern for those who value diversity in British theatre." http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=158 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=158 2011 marks 25 years of Talawa. To celebrate this milestone, we will present an eclectic year-long season of work that celebrates Black talent.

Working with partner venues across the UK we will continue our legacy of producing imaginative theatre that gives voice to the Black British experience, as well as cultivating Black audiences and audiences for Black work.

Highlights from the year include a remounting of the biting satire, The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe in a site specific production at the V&A directed by Don Warrington; and a re-imagining of Beckett's Waiting for Godot with an all Black cast, co-produced by West Yorkshire Playhouse and directed by Ian Brown.

Watch this space for details! http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=157 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=157 1st - 27th August 2011

ARE YOU YOUNG, CREATIVE AND KEEN TO WORK IN THEATRE?

We are looking for twelve committed young people to take part in our summer school, Talawa Young People’s Theatre (TYPT), for four intensive weeks 1st – 27th August.

TYPT is Talawa’s annual summer school for budding actors, designers, stage managers, workshop leaders and technicians. It is a remarkable opportunity to work with Britain’s foremost Black-led theatre company, and it's also FREE!

During TYPT you will work with leading theatre practitioners and create a piece of theatre for performances in a London venue.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

TYPT ONSTAGE
For performers aged between 18-25 years old: you will create a piece of theatre under the guidance of professional practitioners and perform it at a London venue.

TYPT OFFSTAGE
For designers, stage managers, workshop leaders and technicians aged between 16-25 years old: you will be given the opportunity to gain invaluable training and experience by working with us on TYPT:11 from initial meetings to final production.

All you need to do is write to us about yourself (on at least one side of A4) telling us:

- what you’ve done and what you’re doing now
- what you’d like to do in the future
- what you’d bring to the TYPT:11 experience
- your date of birth and full contact details

Please market your application TYPT ONSTAGE or TYPT OFFSTAGE and send it to us at Talawa Theatre Company, 53-55 East Road, London N1 6AH or gail@talawa.com.

Deadline for applications: 2nd May
Auditions: 14th and 15th May

If you have any queries contact Gail at Talawa on 020 7251 6644 or gail@talawa.com.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=156 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=156 We've commissioned artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards of HyperJAM to create a piece of original digital art built from your answers to the question, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?'

Tell us your answer in no more than 140 characters via Twitter #BlackBritish or email hq@talawa.com.

From April you will be able to interact with the artwork through our website.

Take your inspiration from David Lambert's poem BBB:

Being Black British
In succinct alliteration
Says who I am.
Not Who am I?
It hitches
My culture to my passport,
Identity to ID,
And spells me, me, me.
It means I love ackee and apple crumble,
Brighton and Blanchisseuse beach,
And cheer Becks as hard as Bolt.
I choose callalloo or cabbage,
A Carlsberg or a Carib
And go downtown or dong tong
As the mood takes me....
(and so on through the alphabet
To zabouca to Zed cars).
Being Black and British
Means
Not being Black or British.
An end to either / or.
It means Being Both,
Being more
Than the sum
Of my parts.
It means being here.
Now.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=155 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=155 As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we've commissioned a piece of original digital art from artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards. #BlackBritish? is being built from your answers to the question, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?"

In the 1980s did Black British mean the Brixton Riots and Soul to Soul? In the 1990s was it Lewis Hamilton and Elmina's Kitchen? Or it a full English breakfast with plaintain and hot sauce? Eaten on a rainy day of course!

Tell us your answer in no more than 140 characters via Twitter using #BlackBritish or email hq@talawa.com

Visit the website in April and you'll be able to view the artwork and watch it grow and change.

In the meantime, here are some of the responses we've received so far:

#BlackBritish? are African and Caribbean people whose culture and colourful heritage have enriched Britain, especially after settlers arrived in1948.
Arthur Torrington

#BlackBritish? an amalgamation power, confidence, uniqueness, a crashing tide to infect the old and create the new! Euphoria has arrived!
Anniwaa Buachi

#BlackBritish? ’I would like to settle your invoice but you’ve changed the agreed price, which is a little bad mind of you.’ Havana Wellings-Longmore

#BlackBritish? ownership & access of the best of the African diaspora & British European culture. The logical continuation of the long tradition of co-opting, adapting, mixing & making new like a cup of tea. Karena Johnson

And writer David Lambert submitted this poem:

BEING BLACK BRITISH

Being Black British
In succinct alliteration
Says who I am.
Not Who am I?
It hitches
My culture to my passport,
Identity to ID,
And spells me, me, me.
It means I love ackee and apple crumble,
Brighton and Blanchisseuse beach,
And cheer Becks as hard as Bolt.
I choose callalloo or cabbage,
A Carlsberg or a Carib
And go downtown or dong tong
As the mood takes me....
(and so on through the alphabet
To zabouca to Zed cars).
Being Black and British
Means
Not being Black or British.
An end to either / or.
It means Being Both,
Being more
Than the sum
Of my parts.
It means being here.
Now.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=154 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=154 18 – 27 August

Are you young, creative and keen to work in theatre?

We are looking for twelve committed young people to take part in our summer school, Talawa Young People’s Theatre (TYPT), for four intensive weeks 18th – 27th August.

TYPT is Talawa’s annual summer school for budding actors, designers, stage managers, workshop leaders and technicians. Not only is it a remarkable opportunity to work with Britain’s foremost Black-led theatre company. It’s also FREE!

During TYPT you will work with leading theatre practitioners and create a piece of theatre for performances in a London venue.

How to get involved:

TYPT ONSTAGE
For performers aged between 18-25 years old: you will create a piece of theatre under the guidance of professional practitioners and perform it at a London venue.

TYPT OFFSTAGE
For designers, stage managers, workshop leaders and technicians aged between 16-25 years old: you will be given the opportunity to gain invaluable training and experience by working with us on TYPT:11 from initial meetings to final production.

All you need to do is write to us about yourself (on at least one side of A4) telling us:

- what you’ve done and what you’re doing now
- what you’d like to do in the future
- what you’d bring to the TYPT:11 experience
- your date of birth and full contact details

Be persuasive because there are only 12 places available.

Please market your application TYPT ONSTAGE or TYPT OFFSTAGE and send it to us at Talawa Theatre Company, 53-55 East Road, London N1 6AH or gail@talawa.com.

Make sure it reaches us by 2nd May. Auditions will be held on 14th and 15th May – please make sure you are free on these dates.

If you have any queries contact Gail at Talawa on 020 7251 6644 or gail@talawa.com.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=153 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=153 Krunch has received great reviews in Afridiziak and the Morning Star. See a couple of the quotes below. If you want to read the full reviews follow the links

*****5 Stars AFRIDIZIAK

"Multiracial relationships, black male hoodies, authority, Africa, Facebook, MTV, BET, Pop Idol, black women, reality TV and neo black child, are some of the topics tackled in Krunch, sometimes in a light hearted, comical, serious or touching manner. Whatever, the style, it was always thought-provoking."

Read Afridiziak Review

MORNING STAR

"Krunch makes a bold, admirable attempt to articulate what it means to be a young black person in Britain today with competing identities and inherited memories. It's no small feat that it's carried off so well."
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=152 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=152 Richard H. Smith has taken some vibrant new photographs of Krunch, currently at the Albany before touring to the Drum and Tara Arts (An Audience with Krunch).

See them here on Talawa's Flickr photostream: http://bit.ly/c2vwXO

The new set has been designed by Susannah Henry. We love it. To see more of her work check out her website www.susannahhenry.co.uk/ http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=151 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=151 As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we've commissioned artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards to create a piece of original digital art. #BlackBritish? will be built from your answers to the question, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?' in the 1980s did Black British mean the Brixton Riots and Soul to Soul? In the 1990s was it Lewis Hamilton and Elmina's Kitchen? Or is it a full English breakfast with plantain and hot sauce? Eaten on a rainy day of course!

Tell us your answers in no more than 140 characters via Twitter #BlackBritish? or email hq@talawa.com. From April you will be able to visit this site to interact with the artwork, and watch it grow and change.

Here's some inspiration in the form of a poem, kindly written for us by writer, David Lambert:

Being Black British
In succinct alliteration
Says who I am.
Not Who am I?
It hitches
My culture to my passport,
Identity to ID,
And spells me, me, me.
It means I love ackee and apple crumble,
Brighton and Blanchisseuse beach,
And cheer Becks as hard as Bolt.
I choose callalloo or cabbage,
A Carlsberg or a Carib
And go downtown or dong tong
As the mood takes me....
(and so on through the alphabet
To zabouca to Zed cars).
Being Black and British
Means
Not being Black or British.
An end to either / or.
It means Being Both,
Being more
Than the sum
Of my parts.
It means being here.
Now.

http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=149 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=149 This year, Talawa proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since our inception, the Company has presented everything from Shakespeare to Derek Walcott to Black British writers like Sol B River and Biyi Bandele.

For the next 12 months, we will celebrate the Company's range and reach by staging new work, showcasing fresh Black British writing, developing talent, revisiting classics and mounting a satirical site specific piece of theatre at the venerable Victoria and Albert Museum.

We've also commissioned a piece of digital art from artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards. #BlackBritish? will be built from your answers to the question 'To you, what does Black British mean now?" Check our #BlackBritish? news item to find out how to participate.
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=148 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=148 Talawa Young People's Theatre (TYPT:11) will run from 1st August - 27th August 2011. Auditions will be held on 14th and 15th May and the deadline for applying is 2nd May. Spread the word! http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=146 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=146 As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we've commissioned artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards to create a piece of original digital art. #BlackBritish? will be built from your answers to the question, 'To you, what does Black British mean now?' in the 1980s did Black British mean the Brixton Riots and Soul to Soul? In the 1990s was it Lewis Hamilton and Elmina's Kitchen? Or is it a full English breakfast with plantain and hot sauce? Eaten on a rainy day of course!

Tell us your answers in no more than 140 characters via Twitter #BlackBritish? or email hq@talawa.com. From April you will be able to visit this site to interact with the artwork, and watch it grow and change. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=145 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=145 This year, Talawa proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since our inception, the Company has presented everything from Shakespeare to Derek Walcott to Black British writers like Sol B River and Biyi Bandele.

For the next 12 months, we will celebrate the Company's range and reach by staging new work, showcasing fresh Black British writing, developing talent, revisiting classics and mounting a satirical site specific piece of theatre at the venerable Victoria and Albert Museum.

We've also commissioned a piece of digital art from artists EVEWRIGHT and Derek Richards. #BlackBritish? will be built from your answers to the question 'To you, what does Black British mean now?" Check our #BlackBritish? news item to find out how to participate. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=144 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=144 Rehearsals are underway. Workshops are in full swing. The set designer brought the model box into the offices last week. See Talawa's blog for all the pictures. Check out Twitter (@talawatheatreco) for our Audioboo competition - each day we're posting a clip from one of the pieces of music from the Krunch soundtrack. Name the artist and the track to win tickets for Krunch at the Albany.

Book tickets for the Albany 2-4 March at www.thealbany.org.uk and The Drum 11 & 12 March at www.the-drum.org.uk. For an in depth discussion of the piece and its themes check An Audience with Krunch at Tara Arts on 17 March www.tara-arts.com http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=143 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=143 What makes me, me? And what makes you, you?

Krunch takes a searing look at what it means to be young, Black and British.

Flying through topics from Facebook to freedom, surveillance, politics and X Factor, the cast are thought-provoking and creative.

Combining their lyrics with krumping and a live set by DMC Supremacy champion DJ Matman, the result is fresh and explosive.

Be there!

The Albany 2 - 4 March
www.thealbany.org.uk
020 8692 4446

The Drum 11 & 12 March
www.the-drum.org.uk
0121 333 2444

An Audience wth Krunch
Tara Arts 17 March
www.tara-arts.com
020 8333 4457
http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=142 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=142 Talawa celebrates its 25th anniversary from March 2011 - March 2012.

Across the year we will be celebrating the breadth of the Company's work from Krunch - a sharp look at young, Black British identity at The Albany and The Drum, to the classic Waiting for Godot at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Our new website and full plans will be launched at the beginning of March. To keep in touch either subscribe to Noticeboard, join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @talawatheatreco http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=141 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=141 Follow us on Twitter and keep in touch with what we're doing, to find out about job and work opportunities and to receive juicy nuggets of information that we think you'll be interested in - occasionally these may be frivolous. Be warned. You can find us at @talawatheatreco http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=140 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=140 Christopher Rodriguez, Talawa's Executive Producer, has returned from a highly successful trip to South Africa working with playwrights as part of Sustained Theatre's South African New Playwriting Programme. His blog is on our website - just look at the top of the homepage.

The feedback from the participants has been so positive. Here's a snippet of an email sent through by Suzy Bell (Performance Art Poet and Writer):

"It is essential writers in SA cross-pollinate from poetry to plays from short stories to novels to film scripts to survive and to explore our many South African stories we have to tell. What is refreshing about this SA New Writing programme is that the writing worskhop is not just a once-off worskhop as is often the case in SA (PANSA is the exception but no longer in action) with absolutely no follow-up or mentorship or nurturing of new talent. What I truly like about this writing programme is that there are potentially opportunities to continue on this journey with the support of highly skilled and experienced writers to potentially see one's play massaged and further crafted and potentially produced. Thank-you for this opportunity." http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=138 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=138 Talawa has given seed commissions to Dominique LeGendre for a musical, Ruby and Lorna French for a piece of new writing, After She's Gone. Watch this space for updates! http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=137 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=137 Join us on Twitter. Or should that be follow us on Twitter? I guess it should. You can find us @talawatheatreco

It's a great way of keeping up-to-date with what we're doing and to receive snippets of information that come our way, including ticket offers, job opportunities and the like. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=136 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=136 As part of Sustained Theatre's work to create international opportunities for artists, Christopher Rodriguez, Talawa's Executive Producer, is going to South Africa to seed a three year programme of work. The programme is aimed at developing new playwrights in South Africa utilising the wealth of skills and experience we have in England. For more information, check out Sustained Theatre's website www.sustainedtheatre.org.uk http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=135 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=135 Flipping the Script, our annual season of new Black British writing is back at the Young Vic May, June and July 2011.

This year, we're working closely with their Young Director's programme to select and develop work.

Watch this space for further information. There is still just enough time to submit a script for consideration. Check out the Literary section of the website for details on how to go about it. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=134 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=134 What makes me, me? And what makes you, you?

Funny, insightful and bursting with energy the 9 strong cast of Krunch reflects on what it means to be young, Black and British.

Thought-provoking lyrics mixed with krumping and a live set by DMC Supremacy champion DJ Matman.

Krunch is fresh and explosive. Be there!

The Albany 2-4 March 020 8692 4446
The Drum 11&12 March 0121 33 2444
Tara Arts 17 March 020 8333 4457 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=133 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=133 TYPT:09's production Krunch is to tour next Spring. It will be at The Albany for the first week of March 2011, and the rest of the tour will be confirmed soon. So watch this space! http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=132 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=132 Rum and Coca will be at the Drum until 30th October and then opens at the Cheltenham, Everyman on 2nd November for five nights. Shango Baku is mesmerising as the worn out Professor and Okezie Morro the perfect foil as Slim his young side-kick. For more information go to: http://www.e-flier.co.uk/ett/rumandcoca-cola/autumn2010/ http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=130 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=130 Black History month is coming to a close and Talawa's Participation and Education Officer, Gail Babb, has been super busy. She's spent the last month working at Addey and Stanhope School, with Southwark Council, Essex Schools and the Royal Opera House, and Clacton County High School. She has also worked with the men at HMP Wandsworth, The City of Leicester College and Preston Park Primary. Topics range from looking at identity through drama, to the drama of 1980s Britain and storytelling, devising and spoken word. http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=127 http://www.talawa.com/news.php?nid=127