Leading Black British theatre for the past 40 years, Talawa Theatre Company marks its anniversary with the return of Fragments of Us, visiting the Brighton Festival, between Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday 24th as part of it’s UK tour.
It will be staged in the Brighton Festival Big Top at Black Rock, Madeira Drive, Brighton and Hove, BN2 1FY https://brightonfestival.org/whats-on/Xdh-fragments-of-us/
Fragments of Us is a deeply personal and poetic exploration of identity, resilience and collective memory. Using movement and spoken word, the piece offers a rare opportunity for audiences to engage with authentic stories told by a cast of Black performers whose lived experiences lie at the heart of the work.
Talawa, together with trailblazing dance company Fubunation, will perform a striking outdoor performance.
Talawa and Fubunation are pioneers of UK Black-led arts, and their partnership marks a powerful moment for the outdoor performance scene. With its unique blend of Hip Hop, African dance and spontaneous audience interaction, Fragments of Us redefines communal storytelling within public spaces.
A spokesperson said: “After a successful premiere at Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 2025, Fragments of Us returns, developed into a full-length work which will tour outdoor spaces across the UK as part of Talawa’s 40th anniversary programme Talawa 86:26.
“The production is as captivating as it is crucial, foregrounding Black male experiences through physical movement and personal storytelling.”
Joining the returning cast are Mateus Daniels (Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial, Ambassador Theatre; What I Hear I Keep, Talawa Theatre) and multidisciplinary artist Jerome Scott, who focuses story-telling work on poetry and movement.
The cast also includes Seyi Falas (Rush, Almeida Theatre; Cleopatra’s Antony, Theatre Peckham); Zimbabwean-born Eliezer Gore (Last Orders, Roundhouse Three Sixty Festival); and Togolese-British multidisciplinary artist Isaac Ouro-Gnao (The Burnt City, Punchdrunk; THE HERDS, The Walk Productions, Sadler’s Wells East).
Founded in 1986 by Black artists and activists Yvonne Brewster OBE, Mona Hammond OBE, Carmen Munroe DBE and Inigo Espejel, Talawa was created to address the lack of opportunities for Black actors on British stages. Talawa’s ongoing mission is to diversify the theatre industry, making it fully representative of the UK population.
To continue paving the way for the next 40 years, Talawa Theatre Company needs the same support, strength and boldness it brings to the stage. More details are available on https://www.talawa.com
Fubunation is a London-based organisation, founded in 2017 by Rhys Dennis and Waddah Sinada, with the vision of adding to black culture by creating more visibility and representation for dancers of colour in contemporary dance.
