Black Theatre Workshop Launches 2025–2026 Season, 'Tallawah'

Montreal’s Black Theatre Workshop (BTW), Canada’s longest-running Black theatre company, has announced its 2025–26 season under the theme Tallawah. A Jamaican patois word meaning “strong, fearless, and resilient,” Tallawah reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to telling bold stories that amplify Black voices and experiences.

“The Jamaican idiom We likkle, but we tallawah—‘We are little, but resilient’—captures the spirit of Black Theatre Workshop as we enter our 55th season,” said Artistic Director Dian Marie Bridge. “One of Canada’s oldest theatre companies, BTW stands as a pillar of Montreal’s English theatre community and a home base for Black artists nationwide.”

On Stage

BTW will open the season with the world premiere of Pirate and the Lone Voice by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, directed by Lydie Dubuisson. Commissioned by BTW, the daring new work dives into the world of pirate radio in Guinea-Bissau, where two rebels fight to keep music and free expression alive. Featuring Jeremy Lewis and Mel Pickering, with designs by Eo Sharp, Elena Stoodley, and Lia Wright, the production will tour schools across Montreal from October 6–31, 2025, before a public performance on October 25 at Union United Church.

The mainstage production, our place by Kanika Ambrose, will make its Montreal premiere at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts Studio from November 19–30, 2025. Directed by Dian Marie Bridge, the play follows Andrea and Niesha, two Caribbean women working under the table at a restaurant while navigating precarious immigration status. With humor and urgency, the play explores survival, morality, and Canada’s immigration system. A special dinner and pre-show talk will be held on November 22 with psychotherapist Shirlette Wint.

Beyond the Stage

BTW will continue its Artist Mentorship Program (AMP), now in its 13th year, led by Keith Trevor Fernandez. Twenty early- and mid-career BIPOC artists from across Turtle Island will participate in six months of hands-on workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and paid opportunities to develop their own projects, culminating in a workshop presentation in March 2026.

The season also marks the announcement of Noah Hammermeister as the first recipient of the new Jacklin Webb Theatre Scholarship. A hard-of-hearing artist originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, Hammermeister discovered his passion for theatre at age 19 and is now entering his second year at The National Theatre School of Canada. The award was presented during the season launch, with the Webb family in attendance to celebrate Jacklin Webb’s enduring legacy of supporting young artists.

Rooted in the spirit of Tallawah, BTW’s 55th season celebrates resilience and creativity in the face of challenge, offering audiences transformative theatrical experiences while continuing to serve as a vital home for Black Canadian artists.

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