Stars to unite for Talawa’s 40th anniversary celebration in Hackney

Talawa Theatre Company has announced the cast for Talawa Iconic, a showcase marking the company’s 40th anniversary.

The event will take place at Hackney Empire on 13 October 2026, with a black carpet from 6pm and the showcase beginning at 7pm.

The evening will feature excerpts from productions across Talawa’s four decades, including the company’s inaugural production The Black Jacobins (1986), The Importance of Being Earnest (1989), Yvonne Brewster’s Antony & Cleopatra(1991), King Lear (2015), Theresa Ikoko’s Girls (2016), Run It Back (2019), A Place for We (2021), Recognition (2023), Play On! (2025) and Fragments of Us (2026). Music will be performed by Chineke! Quartet.

Olivier Award-nominated actor and Hackney Empire trustee Josette Bushell-Mingo will open the evening with a speech, while the programme will also see Tameka Empson return to Hackney Empire alongside longtime Talawa performer Ben Thomas for an excerpt from The Importance of Being Earnest.

Ikoko will perform an excerpt from Girls, which Talawa first supported through its Talawa Firsts programme before producing the play. The work went on to win the Alfred Fagon Award.

Original cast member David Webber will reunite with Laurence Ubong Williams for an excerpt from A Place for We, while returning cast member Lifford Shillingford will perform a section of Play On!.

Doña Croll will return to Antony & Cleopatra, reprising the role of Cleopatra. Brewster’s 1991 production marked Croll becoming the first Black actor to play Cleopatra professionally on the British stage.

Talawa was founded in 1986 by Yvonne Brewster, Mona Hammond, Carmen Munroe and Inigo Espejel. The company was established to address the lack of opportunities for Black actors on British stages and has since developed and produced work by generations of Black British theatre artists.

Artistic director Michael Buffong said: “It’s a real joy and privilege for us to bring such a selection of phenomenal Black talent to the stage to celebrate our 40th anniversary. The evening will be uniquely Talawa, displaying the breadth and depth of talent and stories we have collaborated on over the years.”

Talawa Iconic runs at Hackney Empire on 13 October 2026. Tickets are priced at £40, with £20 tickets available for under-25s and Hackney and Croydon locals.