Talawa Theatre Company announces 40th anniversary event

Talawa Theatre Company will stage a 40th anniversary gala event at Hackney Empire this October, celebrating Black excellence over the past four decades.

The evening will consist of “live music, performance, dance, poetry and reflection” with special guest appearances still to be announced. It will feature excerpts from past Talawa productions, such as The Black Jacobins (1986), which made British theatre history as one of the first major shows with an entirely Black cast, alongside The Importance of Being Earnest (1989), King Lear (2015), Run It Back (2019) and Play On! (2025).

Taking place on 13 October, the event will mark one year after the passing of Talawa’s first artistic director Yvonne Brewster.

Talawa’s current artistic director Michael Buffong commented: “For me, and Talawa, this is more than an anniversary, it’s history in the making; one extraordinary night of theatre, culture and celebration, and we are inviting all to share this moment with us.”

Hackney Empire’s CEO Chris Sudworth added: “Talawa has been a pioneering force in British theatre, championing Black creative excellence for over 40 years. I had the pleasure of partnering with the company at Birmingham Hippodrome for their 2024 large-scale tour Play On!; and everyone at Hackney Empire is delighted to collaborate on this extraordinary, landmark event, as part of our own 125th anniversary celebrations.”

Founded in 1986 by Brewster, actor Mona Hammond, actor Carmen Munroe and producer Inigo Espejel, Talawa was established to create opportunities for Black artists who were routinely excluded from Britain’s major stages.