Talawa Theatre Company - Making Theatre For Us By Us
‘We likkle but we talawa’, is a common saying in Jamaican Patois meaning ‘we are small but we are mighty’. This is an apt name for the Talawa Theatre Company, founded in 1986 with the aim of championing and providing opportunities for Black theatre-makers in Britain. In reflecting Black experiences through art for the past 35 years, they have cemented their position at the forefront of diversifying the theatre scene in the UK.
Talawa has had its home in Croydon since September 2019 with an offering of a 200-seat studio and offices for the first time since 1995. Such a location for the UK’s primary Black theatre company is fitting, given that Croydon is London’s 4th Blackest borough with 20% of its population identifying as Black as of 2011. I had the pleasure of watching the first production in their new home at Fairfield Hall, Run It Back, conceived and directed by Coral Messam, created with Gail Babb, and co-devised by TYPT:18 and there was no better performance to christen their new venue and herald their comeback after the pandemic lockdown of 2020.
Full of vibrancy and fun, Run It Back brings rave to the theatre in a performance where audiences are told to bring their ‘rags and flags’, becoming a part of the show themselves as they are encouraged to participate, sing and rave along with the performers. Set in an explosive club night, the show immerses the audience in Black British club culture with dance, physical theatre and a live set from DJ and turntablist Psykhomantus. The performance was steeped in its own Blackness as portraits of Black British icons such as JME and Labrinth adorned the walls of the theatre, hanging alongside photographs of rave scenes and Notting Hill Carnivals of years gone by, setting the scene perfectly. The melange of cultures represented in Black Britain is effectively reflected in the inclusion of a myriad of music genres throughout the sound clash. Dancehall, grime, afrobeats, hip hop and reggae all made an appearance, whilst the clever use of traverse staging transformed the space into a catwalk of sorts, which was fitting for such a showcase of talent. Despite this , the show did not shy away from examining some of the more unpleasant, displaying the toxic elements in conventions of raving culture such as violent misogyny and homophobia in a seamless way without being heavy-handed.
“In the aftermath of a year that was difficult and traumatic for all, but especially Black people, Run it Back was a superbly vibrant, invigorating and critical ode to Black joy and movement.”
Performers include Bimpe Pacheco, George Owusu-Afriyie, Hayley Konadu, Yemurai Zvaraya, Verona Patterson, Johnson Adebayo, Montel Douglas, Azara Meghie and Mateus Daniel who moved with vim and vigour to the music, infusing the theatre with their energy. The choreography of the show is first-rate as the performers alternate fluidly between dancing as a unit, dancing sensually in pairs and even dance-battling each other. In a standout scene set against soulful lovers rock music, you see the dancers take a much-needed pause, moving in pairs hips gyrating slowly and rhythmically to the beat reminding us of the softness that exists in these spaces too.
As I took my seat to watch Run It Back, nodding my head and tapping my feet to the tune of Spice’s oh so catchy So Mi Like It, I was happy to see that I wasn’t alone. Nearly every other audience member was similarly bopping along or mouthing the words, an experience I would not have had if I had been watching with a predominately white audience – my viewing pleasure was greatly enhanced by the fact that the vast majority of the audience was also Black. This was an audience that understood all the cultural references, laughed heartily at the same time as I did and could sing along to all the songs which made me reflect on the importance of theatre created and performed by us and for us. Only 12.5% of UK drama school students are from a ‘BME’ background whilst a recent survey showed that 92% of top British theatre leaders were white and in London, where 41% of the population is Black, Asian and minority ethnic (‘BAME’), some theatres had a ‘BAME’ workforce as low as 5%. This is all to say that given the disappointing lack of Black representation in the industry, it is no wonder that it felt like a breath of fresh air to have an experience in the theatre that was reminiscent of my own real life experiences.
In the aftermath of a year that was difficult and traumatic for all, but especially Black people, Run it Back was a superbly vibrant, invigorating and critical ode to Black joy and movement.
Be sure to check out Talawa Theatre’s upcoming show, Running With Lions, written by Sian Carter and directed by Michael Buffong, which will run in 2022 from 10th February to 12th March