Lyric life

• A triple-bill of explosive, half-hour world premieres by writers
  Diana Nneka Atuona, babirye bukilwaand Malaika Kegode.
• Cast includes Unique Spencer, Ivan Oyik, Chloe Lemonious and Haina Al-Saud
• Project marks tiata fahodzi’s 25^th Anniversary: ‘The Year of the Artist’.
• Co-directed by tiata fahodzi’s Artistic Director Chinonyerem Odimba and
  Campbell X

The last three years have been turbulent, traumatic, and terrorising globally. So, when are we taking to the streets?

Marking their 25^th Anniversary, British African heritage contemporary theatre company tiata fahodzi presents three back-to-back half-hour world premieres, with the provocation to the three writers being ‘What would a revolution look like in 2022?’.

The project marks the company’s newest initiative of asking artists to respond to a provocation in writing short plays that are then staged as quickly as possible in order to comment on the current moment. These ‘happenings’ are honest, raw and ready.

Today tiata fahodzi announces the full cast: Unique Spencer (Top Boy, Losing it), Ivan Oyik (Shook, Doctors), Chloe Lemonious and Haina Al-Saud.

Co-directed by tiata fahodzi’s Artistic Director Chinonyerem Odimba (Black Love, Medea) and Campbell X (Stud Life, My White Best Friend), the triple-bill will tour to Watford Pumphouse Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s Studio and Bristol Old Vic’s Weston Studio space this October.

 

Notes to Editors:

Listings:

06 – 07 October: The Watford Pumphouse Theatre as part of Watford Fringe, 7.30pm.
12 – 15 October: Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Studio, 8pm.
19 – 22 October: Bristol Old Vic, The Weston Studio, 8pm.

About tiata fahodzi

The UK’s leading British African heritage contemporary theatre company, tiata fahodzi produces theatre that is fearless for a Britain of today; rich with languages, races, cultures and identities. In celebration of its 25^th anniversary, tiata fahodzi presents a new season of creative initiatives, appointments and productions designed to support and invest in the future of Black British artists.

Founded in September 1997 by playwright and director Femi Elufowoju Jr and now under the direction of its fourth Artistic Director, playwright and director, Chinonyerem Odimba, this milestone year named ‘Year of the Artist’ marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation’s history.

About Chinonyerem Odimba:

Chinonyerem is a Nigerian British playwright, screenwriter, and poet. Her recent work ranges from Black Love at Kiln Theatre, Medea at Bristol Old Vic, We Too, Are Giants for Kiln Theatre, Unknown Rivers at Hampstead Theatre, Prince and the Pauper at Watermill Theatre, The Seven Ages of Patience at Kiln Theatre, and Princess & The Hustler which toured across the UK for Eclipse Theatre/Bristol Old Vic/Hull Truck.

​Her work has been shortlisted for several awards including the Adrienne Benham and Alfred Fagon awards. In 2015 her unproduced play Wild is De Wind was shortlisted to the final ten for the Bruntwood Playwriting Award. She is the winner for the 2018 Sonia Friedman Award (Channel 4 Playwright Bursary) for a new play How to Walk on the Moon, and a finalist for the inaugural Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020 for her play Paradise Street.

As a director, Chino has worked for Bristol Old Vic, Theatre503 and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Over by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm which will open at New Wolseley Theatre in Feb 2022. She is Chair of Trustees at Theatre Bristol, a Trustee on the board at Bristol Old Vic and part of Freelancers Make Theatre Work collective.

About Campbell X

Campbell X is a writer/director who directed the award-winning queer urban romantic comedy feature film STUD LIFE.  His film Stud Life was voted by the Guardian as one of the top 10 Black British feature films ever made. It was also in Vogue magazine as one of the best films to watch in 2020. Stud Life was also selected by the British Film Institute as one of the top 8 queer films to view in 2021. Campbell was one of the writers at the Royal Court for My White Best Friend theatre series.

Campbell’s latest film Still We Thrive about Black joy and resistance, is now screening globally in film festivals. He directed and produced the short film DES!RE about joy and sensuality for men (trans and non-binary) and masculine women ie studs/butches and the documentary VISIBLE about reclaiming QTBIPOC UK history.

Campbell has just wrapped on his second feature Low Rider which was filmed in the Western Cape region of South Africa starring Emma Mcdonald and Thishiwe Ziqubu.

About Diana Nneka Atuona

Diana is a British born, Nigerian writer from Peckham, South London. Her first play, Liberian Girl, won the Alfred Fagon Award in 2013, in January 2015, it received its full production at the Royal Court Theatre, where it received critical acclaim and was nominated for an Evening Standard Theatre Award. Diana won the 50th George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright in 2019, for The Boy From Tiger Bay, which is being developed at The Donmar Warehouse. She is also the recipient of the Roland Rees Bursary 2021, as part of the Alfred Fagon Award. She is under commission with the Royal Court and the Old Vic

About babirye bukilwa 

babirye is an actor, model, poet and writer born and raised in pre-gentrified Bethnal Green. They are currently based in London. babirye’s debut play … Blackbird Hour was shortlisted for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2019, The inaugural Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020 and The Alfred Fagon award 2020. Their second play … Cake, an origin story to … Blackbird Hour debuted at Theatre Peckham in 2021 directed by malakai sargeant (they/them) to critical acclaim including an Off Westend nomination for best production of 2021 and another nomination for best play of the year by the Alfred Fagon award 2021.

About Malaika Kegode.

Malaika Kegode is an award-winning writer and performer based in Bristol. Beginning her arts career as a performance poet in 2014, Malaika has since developed her practice to encompass theatre, radio and film writing. Her autobiographical gig-theatre show Outlier debuted on Bristol Old Vic’s main stage in 2021. Malaika’s narrative work has also been featured on BBC Radio 4, and her poetry collections Requite and Thalassic are published by Burning Eye Books.