Talawa Theatre Company, the UK’s leading Black British Theatre Company is entering its 40th anniversary year with a programme dedicated to championing the next four decades of Black talent. TALAWA 86:26 presents an ode to the past as well as a celebration of their present with the launch of a lecture series, a tour of outdoor festivals, and ongoing initiatives that place advocacy, community, storytelling and talent development at the forefront.
Working in collaboration with RADA, the Mona Hammond Lecture Series will honour the radical legacy of the Talawa founder. This new series underscores a shared commitment to diversity, innovation and nurturing African and Caribbean diaspora and Global Majority talent entering drama education and the theatre industry. With its first public event taking place in September 2026, the three-year lecture series will address current industry trends and issues. Mona Hammond was herself a RADA graduate and her pioneering work broke racial and gender barriers, championing representation and inclusivity in the arts.
Acting as a convenor for diverse leadership in the arts, the series aims to ignite critical conversations, attract younger audiences and inspire transformative action. The launch of the Mona Hammond Lecture Series also coincides with the culmination of RADA’s 120th anniversary in the 2024/5 academic year.
Artistic Director Michael Buffong comments, “Our artistic programme for 2026 is built upon four pillars: Advocacy, Community, Storytelling and Talent Development. We have the privilege of preserving well-established programmes in TYPT and Talawa Firsts, bringing an exciting and successful outdoor show to brand new audiences across the country with Fragments of Us, and forging new creative partnerships through the Mona Hammond Lecture Series in collaboration with RADA. Along with a few surprises yet to be announced, this 40th anniversary year will be a celebration of everything that has made Talawa great over the past four decades“.
More is to be announced across TALAWA 86:26 with tickets now on-sale for both TYPT26 and
Talawa Firsts 26.
Talawa’s Fragments of Us will embark on a UK tour of outdoor festivals throughout 2026, supported by funding from Without Walls and commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Birmingham Weekender, Stockton International Riverside Festival and Brighton Festival. In collaboration with London-based Black British contemporary dance company FUBUNATION and theatre and live art practitioner Sonia Hughes, Fragments of Us uses movement and spoken word to platform Black voices and experiences. Giving audiences the chance to interact with an intimate and personal story, the tour will allow for Black narratives to be shared with audiences from Brighton to Stockton. It was previously seen as a work in progress at GDIF 2025.
Continuing Talawa’s early years work, TALAWA 86:26 will present an audio drama Omaan and the Sun Orb. Written and created by Daniel Bailey (former Artistic Director, Bush Theatre, director of Fences 2026, Headlong), this tender tale written as a two-hander between a father and son explores the impacts of climate change through the imaginary world of make-believe.
This Summer, Talawa will also presents a special staged reading of the company’s 1986 debut production The Black Jacobins. Developed in partnership with the University of Glasgow, with support from the Creative and Social Futures Fund, The Black Jacobins: Making Drama Out of History will explore the ways in which C.L.R. James’s Haitian Revolution play, and its message of anti-racist rebellion, remains staunchly relevant in our time.
In celebration of Talawa’s work over the past four decades, the company will host a 40th Anniversary Showcase in London toward the end of 2026. This landmark event will spotlight the immense impact Talawa has had pioneering Black excellence in the industry. Shortlisted for The Stage Producer of the Year Award in 2026, Talawa’s milestone anniversary year recognises the past, as well as remaining determined to be courageous and creative in their contribution to theatre.
Executive Director Carolyn ML Forsyth comments, “We recognise that the world is in a challenging place right now, and we WILL continue our work with joy, hope, fortitude, and pragmatism. Yvonne, Carmen, Mona, and Inigo—our four founders—have gifted us an extraordinary legacy and a responsibility to pay it forward. This 40th anniversary year serves as a platform to celebrate their profound contribution to British and world theatre“.
With more to be announced across the programme, TALAWA 86:26 will also see the continuation of Talawa’s acclaimed initiatives:
Talawa’s Introductory Writers’ Group (IWG) facilitates the development of a well-curated group of promising new Black writers destined to be the future of writing in British theatre. Led by Michelle Matherson (BBC Creative Diversity), this talent development programme supports new writers to take their ideas or stories from the page to the stage. Offering an intensive spring-summer process of regular classes, personalised notes on scripts, and bespoke 1-2-1s with professional dramaturgs, the programme presents a community-oriented space to learn and grow.
Talawa Firsts 2026 will return for its 14th year, showcasing innovative new writing and performance. TALAWA 86:26 introduces a new streamlined format with Talawa Firsts taking over Talawa’s HQ in Croydon across one week. Presenting the development of groundbreaking Black British work and world premieres, Talawa Firsts celebrates the springboard of emerging creatives.
The company’s flagship Young People’s Theatre Programme (TYPT) also makes a return, giving young participants the chance to develop professional experience and propel their careers. One of Talawa’s longest-running initiatives, set up in 1995, this free programme displays the endurance of the company’s dedication in supporting emerging Black theatre makers. Past TYPT alumni have included Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum, E4; Black Panther 2, Disney), Nonso Anozie (Game of Thrones, HBO; Cinderella, Disney) and Femi Oguns MBE (Director, The Identity Drama School).
