Photos: Inside Rehearsal For Talawa Theatre Company's RECOGNITION

All new rehearsal images have been released for Talawa Theatre Company’s major new production, Recognition, which is premiering at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, from 1st – 24th June as part of London Borough of Culture 2023 - This Is Croydon.

 Recognition follows a young Black composer, Song, who discovers the Black British classical composer – and Croydon resident – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, who was widely celebrated during his lifetime but no longer receives the same recognition as his white contemporaries.

David Monteith (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, UK tour; Sleeping Beauty, Cast Doncaster; Gassed Up, Amazon) joins the cast with Barnaby Power (Laurel & Hardy, Lyceum; Interiors, Lyric Hammersmith; Twelfth Night, Royal Shakespeare Comedy); Matthew Romain (Sherlock, BBC; Holes, UK tour; The Recruiting Officer, Donmar Warehouse); Alice Stokoe (Sister Act, UK tour; Mamma Mia!, West End; The Duke, Warner Bros) and Deborah Tracey (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre; This England, Sky; Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Fox Searchlight).  They join the previously announced Paul Adeyefa (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bridge Theatre; Good Omens, Amazon Prime; The Mirror and the Light, Gielgud Theatre), who plays composer and Croydon resident Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Kibong Tanji (TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre; Misty, Trafalgar Studios; Hairspray, London Coliseum), who takes the role of Song. 

Recognition features Coleridge-Taylor’s compositions, as well as original music by Mercury Prize nominated artist Cassie Kinoshi (leader, Seed Ensemble; published by Decca Publishing).  A band of musicians will bring these songs to life, comprising British-Nigerian violinist Eve Abiodun (European and North America tour and 2023 BRIT Awards with Stormzy, Chineke! Orchestra); award-winning bassist Rio Kai (The Globe; Park Theatre; Seed); organist and jazz pianist Jonathan Liebeck (Mellow Mind, EP; A Message Through Sound, EP); cellist Austen Scully (The English Chamber Orchestra; BBC Symphony Orchestra; Rubix Ensemble); drummer Shakira Stellar (Young Vic; The Doctor, West End; Wigmore Hall) and violinist Mikey Tsoukkas (Stath Lets Flats, Channel 4; The Mozart Question, Barn Theatre; Christmas campaign, Crisis).  

Performances run Thursday 1st – Saturday 24th June 2023.