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Tales of Talawa
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| Talawa Theatre Company is Britain's foremost Black led Theatre Company. We give voice to the Black British experience and we nurture, develop and support talent. We cultivate Black audiences and audiences for Black work. In so doing, we enrich British theatre. |
A monthly blog from Havana Wellings-Longmore, Queen of the Universe
Hi Guys,
I’m a little sad as God's Property has wrapped up and I already miss the cast and crew who always had a smile for me. However, the good news is Talawa has already been approached by venues who would like to have the show in their 2014 programmes. So if for some inexcusable reason, you missed it you can catch it again next year. Keep an eye on our Production page for more details.
Typically Talawa we move straight on to the next one (we coined that phrase way before Jay Z!), and we are preparing simultaneously for Talawa Firsts and TYPT: 13auditions. I have been given my share of scripts and look forward to reading them over the next couple of weeks.
In my last blog I told you I was off to see several shows and I have to tell you about my favourites:
Whole by 20 Stories High was amazing and I was blown away by the power and depth of the production. The publicity for the show did not prepare me for the explosive content and the award-worthy performances by the young cast. The play explores many things including friendship, sex and sexuality but ultimately it looks at how small, seemingly insignificant actions can cause major ramifications in people’s lives. This show was created for young people yet it presented the teenage issues in such a universal way that I was utterly engaged with the narrative and characters. Definitely a piece that will stay with me for life, as it made me wonder what happened to the ‘Holly’ or ‘Hollys’ of my own school years?
Equal Writes was a night of quality playwriting and outstanding performances to raise awareness of the lack of female diversity on stage and the disparity between the opportunities available in British theatre for male and female practitioners. There are more actors on stage than actresses and playwrights and directors are more likely to be male. Curated by Mandy Fenton, the twelve pieces presented were very diverse from monologues, to two handers and selected scenes. Performed by 22 actresses, an actor, and all directed by six females, together they truly showcased how little variety we see on stage. Equal Writes had a range of women I have never seen on stage; women over 70, a female wheelchair user, a female MI6 agent, and I have never seen a bearded lady! I have to mention a few names; look out for writers – Andrew Curtis, Sumerah Srivastava, Alice Jolly and Emma Wilson. The performances of the night have to go to Poppy Corbett, Mandy Colleran and Yvonne Brewster. Equal Writes made me look at Talawa’s archive and out of 46 productions,16 have been by female writers and 5 of the 16 had male writers credited as well. In stark contrast to this, Talawa has always been led by women and Michael Buffong is the first male Artistic Director. What do you make of that?
Last month I shared details about the UCL database of Slavery Ownership in Britain, I wanted to explain for those who asked how you can use this to trace your ancestry. If you start with Family Search you can look back as far as the 1830’s for the births, deaths and marriage certificates for most Caribbean islands. However, there are no records available prior to that decade, and if you need earlier records you will have to begin to trace ancestry through the Slave Owners and the records kept by them. This is where the UCL site comes in. For more details on how to trace Caribbean ancestry visit this link.
The other discussion I have been having is about upcoming film Nina; based on the life of Nina Simone and starring Zoe Saldana.
 | | Nina Simone |
People are very upset that Nina, a dark skinned African American, will be portrayed by a fair skinned Dominican/ Puerto Rican actress.
 | | Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone |
Now, when Denzel Washington was cast as Malcolm X people didn’t question the fact he was much darker than Malcom in real life, and the same goes for Angela Bassett playing Tina Turner. Zoe Saldana is a very talented actress but Nina Simone herself said she would want Whoopi Goldberg to play her if the opportunity arose.
 | | Nina Simone (left), Whoopi Goldberg (right) |
The issue I have is that Saldana has very dark makeup applied to her skin, (almost blackface) and a fake nose which implies it is vital to the story that her character has African features. So should Hollywood have made more effort to find a young, talented Whoopi lookalike (India Arie?) or take a talented actress with box office pulling power regardless of her appearance and features?
Havana Wellings-Longmore
Follow us if you liked this blog. And keep in touch via Twitter @TalawaTheatreCo and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalawaTheatreCompany 11th March 2013
Queen of the Universe: For the lover or loner in you
So, the shortest month of the year is over and Talawa’s God’s Propertyis in full swing at Soho theatre, Jackie’s been uploading the reviews on to our website and social networking pages. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for?
Want to hear a Talawa six degrees of separation story?
I met with the Alfred Fagon Award's new chair, Anton Phillips and handed over to a new administrative team led by Tiata Fahodzi. (Talawa will of course continue to support this prestigious writers’ award but all enquires for this year should be referred to the Alfred Fagon Award website.)
The 2012 Alfred Fagon Award winner was TYPT graduate Michaela Coel.
Michaela will star in Janice Okoh’s play Three Birds at the Bush Theatre from 22 March.
Royal Exchange Manchester’s Artistic Director, Greg Hersov is the new chair of Talawa’s Board.
Michael Buffong and Talawa will be working the the Royal Exchange Manchester this year. Details to be announced. Whew!
February was also American Black History Month and I used my Pinterest Board to explore the corporate advertising and support received from international companies that do not acknowledge the event in the UK. I was really surprised by the positive campaigns by Heineken and McDonald’s. It makes you wonder if charities like Talawa could get corporate sponsorship from companies like this in the US.
This month I heard the University College London (UCL) has produced a database of those paid compensation after being forced to free their slaves in 1833. The British government paid out £20m to compensate approximately 3,000 families that owned slaves for the loss of their "property" when slave-ownership was abolished in Britain's colonies. The news has leapt on the names and descents of famous Brits including the family of George Orwell and distant relatives of Prime Minister David Cameron.
I also finished the autobiography of Mary Seacole as there has been talk of removing her from the school curriculum recently. I think anyone, male or female who is willing to bankrupt themselves to get to the front line of a war to treat and care for soldiers, deserves a place in the history books. I can’t imagine anyone doing that now. Maybe someone will write a play about her, Winsome Pinnock or Patricia Cumper perhaps? Especially as 2013 sees an abundance of historical black plays across the UK this spring; Tulland Call Mr Robeson at the Octogon Bolton, Josephine and I at the Bush Theatre and Hutchat Riverside Studios.
Speaking of historical ladies and Patricia Cumper; Talawa’s former Artistic Director, was honoured with an MBE in this year’s honours list for services to Black British Theatre. I am so proud of her and now think of her as ma lady Cumper.
March is choc-a-block with great shows, unfortunately I can’t see (afford) them all but I am seeing; Liar Liar at Unicorn, Wholeat Half Moon Theatre, Equal Writes at the Tristan Bates Theatre, Ballet Revolución at Peacock Theatre, Paper Dolls at Tricycle Theatre and will head to the Southbank for the WOW Festival. Don’t worry; I’ll be sure to tell you what I think of them all in my next blog.
Two songs of the month for you, picked to please both the lovers and the loners in the aftermath of Valentines. The first is a few years old but still sounds amazing, Mr Intentionalby Lauryn Hill (for the singletons) and the other was released earlier this year, Adornby Miguel (for the lovers).
Havana Wellings Longmore aka Queen of the Univers Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and the Albany presentDirected by Michael Buffong Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Bradley Gardner (Liam), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly) It's 1982. London is restless, gripped by spriraling unemployment and inner city riots. Ska beats dominate the airwaves and in a flat in Deptford, South London two mixed race brothers are re-united.
This week GOD'S PROPERTY opens at Soho Theatre having finished its successful run at the Albany. Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Chima, one of the brothers in the play. I spoke to Kingsley recently to find out a bit more about him and what it is that inspires him about Arinze's play.
"My first experience of acting was playing a bumble bee in a ballet when i was four! A little further down the line I applied to no less than 13 drama schools in 2007. I got into the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and graduated in 2011. I highly recommend the drama school experience to any aspiring actor.
The high points of my career so far have been working for a couple of weeks on WW2 with Brad Pitt, filming in a shanty town in South Africa, visiting Robben Island and being part of RIOTS at the Tricycle, which is such as important piece of writing.
What inspires me about God's Property? The characters are charming and funny and I love the pace of the writing.
And my unlikely secret is that Mrs Doubtfire is my all time favourite film!"
 | | Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima) |
God's Property will tour to: 20th - 23rd February, 7.30pm Matinee on 23rd February, 2.30pm 26th February - 23 March, 7.30pm Matinees at 3pm on Saturdays 26th March - 28th March, 8pm Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and the Albany present Directed by Michael Buffong Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Bradley Gardner (Liam), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly) It's 1982. London is restless, gripped by spriraling unemployment and inner city riots. Ska beats dominate the airwaves and in a flat in Deptford, South London two mixed race brothers are re-united.
Anthony Ekundayo Lennon was at the Albany last night for the first preview of GOD'S PROPERTY and here's what he thought:
I think GOD'S PROPERTY takes a bold and inspiring look at issues that may appear to some to belong to a past era but are more relevant now than ever.
It's brilliant to see new contemporary writing that deals with subjects that evoke such a mixture of feelings. The play is moving and funny and at times it was, for me, uncomfortable viewing. How refreshing that Arinze (the writer) chose to look much closer at feelings that are too often brushed under the carpet.
So much has changed since 1980's London in relation to 'race' and 'class' and the political landscape. Yet so very much has remained the same.
GOD'S PROPERTY is a very human story about deep love (or at least the longing for it), the things we choose to remember and the things we wish to forget - whilst ignoring the person staring back at you in the the mirror!
I very much look forward to seeing GOD'S PROPERTY again and seeing how it evolves."
 | From left to right: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly) and
Bradley Gardner (Liam) Photo: Helen Maybanks |
God's Property will tour to: 20th - 23rd February, 7.30pm Matinee on 23rd February, 2.30pm 26th February - 23 March, 7.30pm Matinees at 3pm on Saturdays 26th March - 28th March, 8pm Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and the Albany present Directed by Michael Buffong Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Bradley Gardner (Liam), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly) It's 1982. London is restless, gripped by spriraling unemployment and inner city riots. Ska beats dominate the airwaves and in a flat in Deptford, South London two mixed race brothers are re-united.
"Hi, I just wanted to get in touch as I went to see GOD'S PROPERTY last night and I can only use one word to describe it; fantastic! The characters are bold, believable, and loveable, yet flawed, whilst the acting was truly a marvel to watch. The intensity of some scenes made you feel that it was just you and the two brothers alone in that Deptford flat. The older brother's monologues will touch you heart strings, enabling you to fully identify with his situation right from the very beginning.
 | | Ash Hunter (Onochie), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima) |
This play is clever, whilst its primary aim is to focus on the interaction between the brothers and their relationship, it also explores discourses around race, class and space, as Deptford is transported back to the 80’s during a time of political and racial unrest. Ideas of community and isolation are played out against each other in a way that leaves the audience to question whether these undercurrents are in society today, particularly at a time where London in changing and areas that were once the playground for these dynamics are being or have been gentrified.
Well done: sterling performances, believable and gripping dialogue, a real treat!
Karen Alleyne
God's Property will tour to: 20th - 23rd February, 7.30pm Matinee on 23rd February, 2.30pm 26th February - 23 March, 7.30pm Matinees at 3pm on Saturdays 26th March - 28th March, 8pm Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and the Albany present Directed by Michael Buffong Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Bradley Gardner (Liam), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly) It's 1982. London is restless, gripped by spriraling unemployment and inner city riots. Ska beats dominate the airwaves and in a flat in Deptford, South London two mixed race brothers are re-united.
Tonight's the opening of GOD'S PROPERTY at The Albany. All hands are on deck and the production team and cast are working to a tight schedule. The set looks fabulous by the way!
Ash Hunter plays Onochie, one of the brothers in the play. I spoke to Ash recently to find out a bit more about him and what it is that inspires him about Arinze's play.
"I got into acting after I dislocated my ankle at school and the only non-sporting after school club that had a space was the Drama Club. My first acting experience was as Captain Von Trapp in the Sound of Music, which my school - which was an all boys school - staged with the girls school opposite!
Being in GOD'S PROPERTY has been the highlight of my career so far. Really! It's such a great opportunity. Onochie is very eloquent and intelligent but somewhat misguided. He's soft and lovely at the centre and very much in love with Holly. He is a boy who has made himself into what he needs to be in order to survive in the environment in which he finds himself. When I read the play, it really spoke to me and made me ask questions of myself and I love the words I have been given.
I really admire the work of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rafe Spall, Ryan Gosling and Rachel Weisz.
If I was to offer any top tips for aspiring actors they would be to trust that you have a story to tell and that you can do it in a way that no one has seen before. Be confident!"
When asked to tell me a secret that no-one knows about him, Ash replied, "My favourite thing about myself is my eyebrows." And on that note here's a picture of Ash and his lovely eyebrows! Big brows are in at the moment and his rival Cara Delevingne's!
 | | Ash Hunter (Onochie) |
God's Property will tour to: 20th - 23rd February, 7.30pm Matinee on 23rd February, 2.30pm 26th February - 23 March, 7.30pm Matinees at 3pm on Saturdays 26th March - 28th March, 8pm Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and the Albany presentDirected by Michael Buffong Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Bradley Gardner (Liam), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly) It's 1982. London is restless, gripped by spriraling unemployment and inner city riots. Ska beats dominate the airwaves and in a flat in Deptford, South London two mixed race brothers are re-united.
Michael, the director, and I have decided that although the play is set in the 1980's, the kitchen in which the action takes place should not look brand new and so should look as if it is from the 1970's. Vanessa, our lovely Company Manager, has sourced some great period pieces of vintage furniture and props and emails photos of a couple of kitchen scales which I love.
As real glass on stage is dangerous and because the set needs to tour, we need to have plastic sheet in the doors and windows. I manage to source a "cracked-ice" effect stick on vinyl online which will make the doors appear more period. Dennis, our Production Manager, and I managed to source a complete 1970's kitchen on E-bay way back at Christmas which we got for a song. But the units are orange and I would like them to be avocado green which was a very popular colour for kitchens and bathrooms in the 1970's. So I am trying to source avocado green sticky back plastic but at the moment I am only coming up with apple green or emerald online.
The wallpaper in the kitchen is new but based on a 70's retro style. I have discovered a great site that sells vintage wallpaper but only in small roll amounts. I choose 2 rolls for the hallway but the guy gets back to me and they have been sold so I have to choose an alternative. This site also had great 1970's curtain which I bought but I will have to alter them to fit our window.
The most difficult thing to source has been the flooring. Vinyl from the 1970's had very distinctive patterning which is not produced today and you cannot buy vintage as it contained asbestos which is not allowed now. But Dennis (production manager) has had a brilliant idea and has contacted a company that can computer print onto a vinyl dance floor. I have supplied them with a photo of a piece of original pattern and they send a sample. Michael and I decide it looks too clean and new so have asked if they can make a darker sample.
The most frustrating thing about shopping online is hanging about waiting for delivery! So far I've had delivered DM boots, wallpaper, vinyl and some photo books on the history of Skinhead fashion which I showed to the cast at our first costume fittings.
I am dying to get out and visit the secondhand and vintage shops here in Brighton where I live as I am hoping to pick up more costume stuff and set dressing.
Dennis and I visited the set builder and painter in Ipswich last Thursday. It was the first time we were going to see the set, so on the journey there I had my fingers crossed that it was all going to look okay and that I hadn't made any dreadful mistakes in the model and drawings I sent them!
God's Property will tour to: 20th - 23rd February, 7.30pm Matinee on 23rd February, 2.30pm 26th February - 23 March, 7.30pm Matinees at 3pm on Saturdays 26th March - 28th March, 8pm Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and the Albany presentDirected by Michael Buffong Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Bradley Gardner (Liam), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly) It's 1982. London is restless, gripped by spriraling unemployment and inner city riots. Ska beats dominate the airwaves and in a flat in Deptford, South London two mixed race brothers are re-united.
The other part of my job as sound designer is to create the sound-world of the play. The show is set inside a house in Deptford, and the only way to communicate what lies beyond the kitchen door is through sound. As the play progresses, the outside world becomes an increasingly threatening and dark place. The characters look out of the windows and tell us what's happening, but we never see it. The play calls for an increasing number of dogs, so I am busy building a pack of them in my computer. I also have to find authentic London city sounds. The police and fire engine sirens in those days, for example, sounded completely different, and it's proving tricky to source the sound effects! I may have to call on some of my film sound-design buddies in Soho to see if they can send something over to me. It's really important to get this stuff right, as it sets the scene. Those audience members old enough to remember those sounds will be back there in their minds instantly, while younger ones might look at each other and think, what the heck was that? Did they really sound like that then? Like the costumes and the props, its all got to be true to the era.
 | | From left to right: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly) Photo: Helen Maybanks |
Generally for me, I’ll spend these days of the final week of rehearsal watching a run of the show and then sourcing all the music and sound effects, before building a rough sound plot of the show in my computer, following the script and notes I’ve made. Then next week, in technical rehearsal, I’ll programme all the sound effects and music to be triggered simply by tapping the space bar on the computer using a programme called Qlab. I can then do complex mixtures of sounds – starting them, changing the volume, fading them out, and sending them to different speakers in the theatre. It's only then that the director, Michael Buffong, can get a sense of what I am proposing. When it is all perfected, the sound levels and fades will be the same every night, but because it is triggered by the sound operator in response to the actors, it doesn’t tie them down to any timings. How did we ever manage in the old days with tape recorders? God's Property will tour to: 20th - 23rd February, 7.30pm Matinee on 23rd February, 2.30pm 26th February - 23 March, 7.30pm Matinees at 3pm on Saturdays 26th March - 28th March, 8pm Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and the Albany present God's Property Written by Arinze Kene Directed by Michael Buffong Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima), Bradley Gardner (Liam), Ash Hunter (Onochie), Ria Zmitrowicz (Holly)
It's 1982. London is restless, gripped by spriraling unemployment and inner city riots. Ska beats dominate the airwaves and in a flat in Deptford, South London two mixed race brothers are re-united.
Sixteen year Onochie rules the family roost. His estranged older brother Chima returns home to find that Onochie is a skinhead who chooses to no longer be black.
Chima is not welcome in the area and only has a few hours to meaningfully connect with his brother. But outside a hostile community has been alerted to his return. Chima has been blamed for the death of a white girl and the vitriolic community won’t be satisfied until it delivers its own rough justice.
Onochie faces the tough decision of siding with the community he has tried to belong to, or standing with the brother he doesn’t know.
Naomi Hill (DSM for God's Property writes from rehearsals which are taking place in Talawa's studio on East Road:
 | | From left to right: Chris Streeks, Naomi Hill, Michael Buffong, Kingsley Ben-Adir (Chima) |
A typical day for me starts with opening up the rehearsal room at about 9.30am, sticking the kettle on, and putting the heaters on (its cold in here!!). I then sit next to Michael, the director with the book, (script) and I note down where each actor travels during the scene, I also feed lines to the cast when they need it, and keep an eye on all props being used. At the end of each day, I type up a rehearsal report and send it to all creatives involved in the show- this keeps everyone up to date with the rehearsal process and communication flowing to all the venues we’re going to. I also send out the call sheet for the following day, and make sure all actors know what the plan is.
I’ve never worked with Talawa Theatre Company before, so I wasn’t sure how Michael likes to work. As it turns out, we work very easily together! The rehearsal room is a place of work, but when we have tea breaks we all sit around eating biscuits (the boys like chocolate digestives) and drinking coffee. On a Friday, we tend to go to a pub and have a couple of drinks… there’s a lovely atmosphere in the room, which is a sign of a good, fun company; always a relief for the stage management team!
God's Property will tour to:
20th - 23rd February, 7.30pm Matinee on 23rd February, 2.30pm 26th February - 23 March, 7.30pm Matinees at 3pm on Saturdays 26th March - 28th March, 8pm - Queen of Universe: Return of the Mac!
Queen of Universe Blog: Return of the Mac! I have wanted to write a blog for soooo long. It’s just been hard to find the time. We’re in the second week of rehearsals for God’s Property and I’ve been happy to see the smiling faces of Kingsley and Ash every lunch break. You see, smiling cast members tend to mean they are enjoying the rehearsal process and developing the characters. You really don’t want to see cast members at lunch crying in a corner or hugging their knees in the foetal position in the post room!
One reason I have been out of touch for so long has been because of Pinterest. It’s an image based social networking site and I am addicted to it. Jackie has set up a few boards and given me my own to share the wonderful and at times weird Black British Afrocentric world I live in. The title of my board? Queen of the Universe! We all know it’s true. So my regular blog has become supplemented with images, facts and links to Black British and American history, African inspired fashion and artwork as well as great quotes and African proverbs. Of course I will keep you guys up to date with the latest office gossip through my Queen of the Universe blog.
So on to the gossip then.
Jackie has re-launched our Facebook Talawa Presentsfanpage, so if you haven’t liked us yet, what are you waiting for? The new and improved Talawa Presents will keep you informed of the latest Talawa news and events, and we will share details of job opportunities and ticket offers with you because we’re fly like that!
At the end of last year, we held a workshop for the Norman Beaton Fellowship and three of our candidates were selected for the semi-finals at the BBC's London studios at Broadcasting House on Tuesday 19th February 2013 . So Archie Backhouse, Bevan Celestine –Vincent and Stephanie Yamson will compete against themselves and others for the opportunity to secure either a fixed-term bursary contract or a freelance engagement with the Radio Drama Company. Both Archie and Stephanie came through our TYPT programme we are confident that all three of them will blow the competition out of the water! Jackie and I will share any updates with you via twitter or Facebook.
We are now 20 days away from the opening night of God’s Property at the Albany, Deptford and start of the tour. The play is set in the 1980’s and our rehearsal studio has slowly been moving back in time thanks to the costumes and set that Ellen has been collecting. Somehow this makes me feel younger. We have also created a God's Property playlist on our TYPT Spotify account, inspired by music from the 80’s.
My tune of the month is by Titica, who is a transsexual Angolan singer and dancer, who performs a local form of Afrobeats/ rap-techno music called "kuduro". She was named ‘best kuduro artist of 2011’. I know it 2013 but it can take a while for new music to travel from Angola into Talawa’s offices!
Enjoy x
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Last Updated (Saturday, 25 September 2010 15:19)
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Saturday, 25 September 2010 14:59 | 
Written by Leo parris | 
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