Talawa's Flagship Programme TYPT Returns, Supporting Black Emerging Theatre Makers

TYPT, Talawa Theatre Company’s flagship free programme for emerging theatre makers, is back this summer.  The annual programme sees a team of 12 emerging artists, aged 18-25, work with established artists to create a brand-new show in just four weeks.  This year’s showcase will be 16th – 18th August at Talawa’s HQ at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. 

Set up in 1995, TYPT provides a truly unique stepping stone for young Black theatre makers, including actors, writers, stage managers and designers, at the beginning of their careers.  Previous TYPT participants have gone onto have successful careers, including Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You, BBC; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Disney; Home, National Theatre); Nonso Anozie (Game of Thrones, HBO; Cinderella, Disney; Sweet Tooth, Netflix); Femi Oguns MBE (Director, The Identity Drama School); and Sandra Thompson-Quartey (Artistic Director, Writers Avenue Theatre Company and Talent Agency). 

The 2023 participants are multidisciplinary artist and performance maker KH Del Rio Smith (D E S C E N T, Croydonites Festival); Rebekar Sunshine Oluyadi (Love and Information, Drama St Mary’s); director, producer and actor Savannah Kityo; actor Marli Hart; director, actor and writer Gloria Akpoke; actor, poet and creative Stephan Hunte-Wilson; multidisciplinary artist Jerome Scott; actor and writer Mascuud Dahir (Blood, Gold and Oil, Riverside Studios; The Frontline, Theatre Peckham); actor Chisobem Chinweze; actor and modern African dancer Micaiah John; writer and performer Mya Onwugbonu (Hear Me Now, Southwark Playhouse and VAULT Festival; hang and In Hiding, Tower Theatre); and actor and creative Jonathan Ude. 

The creative team producing this year’s devised show comprises director Philip J Morris (Artistic Director, Trybe House; Sessions, Paines Plough/Soho Theatre; Manorism, Southbank Centre); assistant director Leanne Henlon in her professional debut; movement director Mateus Daniel (The Black British Theatre Awards nominee, Passion Fruit, New Diorama Theatre); set and costume designer Sandra Falase (Sucker Punch, Queen’s Theatre; J’Ouvert, Theatre503; This is Black, Bunker Theatre); dramatherapist Abigail Maria Sol; sound designer David Olowu; and voice coach Joel Trill.