I met up and chatted to Titilola Dawudu, who is a writer, director and the author of Hear Me Now: Audition Monologues for Actors of Colour. We chatted about her latest book, working with Tamasha Theatre Company, theatre, representation and Ovalhouse.

Titilola Dawudu is the Learning and Participations manager at Ovalhouse Theatre. She, in partnership with Tamasha put together this unique monologue book with 87 different monologues for actors of colour of all ages. Hear Me Now was published by Oberon books and is available to buy now online.

Socials:

@HMNMonologues

@tamashatheatre

@OberonBooks

@Ovalhouse

@Mumba_Jasmine

@OrdArtists

www.ovalhouse.com

www.oberonbooks.com/titilola-dawudu.html

www.oberonbooks.com/hear-me-now-audition-monologues-for-actors-of-colour.html

I met up and chatted to Madani Younis, the out-going Artistic Director of The Bush Theatre. We chatted about what it means to be an artistic director, renovating The Bush Theatre, supporting new writers and the play An Adventure written by Vinay Patel and directed by himself.

Madani Younis took over as Artistic Director of The Bush Theatre in 2012, a theatre is all about new writing. He has gone on to most recently directed Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock and An Adventure. He has changed the shape of the building and made a place that reflects the Uxbridge Road.

Socials:

@bushtheatre

@Mumba_Jasmine

@OrdArtists

www.bushtheatre.co.uk

I met up and chatted to Vinay Patel about writing for stage and screen, being commissioned by The Bush Theatre and about his play An Adventure, which is currently on at The Bush Theatre till 20th October.

Vinay, is a writer for both Stage and Screen who was commissioned by the The Bush and wrote an epic based on the adventures of his grandparents. The play is about a particular family who move from India to Kenya and then to London. The story explores how we fit into different societies that may not want us and how home can be far from where we are born.

Vinay other's works being, Sticks and & Stones, Murder By My Father and Doctor Who.

Socials:

@VinayPatel

@Mumba_Jasmine

@OrdArtists

www.bushtheatre.co.uk

www.vinaypatel.co.uk

I met up and chatted to Urielle Klein-Mekongo and we chatted her show, Yvette, performing, drama schools, Edinburgh Fringe, how she got into the theatre with schemes such as Playing Up and how this lead to her going to East15.

Urielle is the writer and creator of Yvette, a one-woman show with original music about a stolen childhood and growing up with a secret. Produced by China Plate, Yvette went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017 and tour London venues such as The Bush, Battersea Arts Centre, The Albany, Camden's People's Theatre and more.

Socials:

@Ukleinmekongo

@Mumba_Jasmine

@OrdArtists

www.chinaplatetheatre.com/yvette

I met up and chatted to Adwoa-Alexsis Mintah and Berri George who are bringing Shadow Kingdoms to Theatre503 from June 5th - 16th. We chatted writing, performing, networking and more.

Adwoa-Alexis is the producer but trained as an actor. She began producing because she wanted to be in something and it continued from there. She now has her own production company, Minty Fresh that focuses on unheard stories.

Berri George is a writer and the artistic director of Barefaced Theatre Company. She has been commissioned by both my Talawa and The Royal Exchange. She is a graduate of both the Belgrade Theatre’s Critical Mass and the Royal Court Theatre local invitation playwriting schemes. She wrote Shadow Kingdoms as an inspiration from those who don't have a place within the scheme.

Socials:

@Mumba_Jasmine

@OrdArtists

@shadowkingdoms

@AdwoaAlexsis

@Barefaced_Berri

@MintyFProd

www.theatre503.com

www.barefacedtheatre.co.uk

www.mintyfreshproductions.co.uk

I met up and chatted to creator of Halfbreed, Natasha Marshall.

Natasha had written the Halfbreed and was accepted onto Talawa First where she scratched the performance. The show was then brought to a full production with the support of Soho Theatre and Talawa Theatre Company. Natasha had a successful ran at the Edinburgh Fringe and then Soho Theatre in London. She then took the production to India.

I had so much fun talking to Natasha, she's bubbly and hilarious without even trying.

Socials:

Twitter:

@OrdArtists

@Mumba-Jasmine

@MarshallTash

@TalawaTheatreCo

@sohotheate

Email: [email protected]

I met up and chatted to Nadia Nadif, Artistic Director of Untold Arts.

Nadia is the Artistic Director of Untold Arts founded by herself, Lauren Johnson and Joel Sams. The company ethos is 'putting BAME actors centre stage' in aims of reflection the voices left unheard. This summer I saw their production, The Scar Test at the Soho Theatre and was move by these women's stories. The production is a devised piece based on true accounts of women held in UK immigration detention centres.

Nadia and I chatted about how the story came together and how it is running your own company while being an actor. She talks candidly about her experience, from forming Untold Arts, Fundraising and taking the shows on tour.

Socials:

Twitter:

@Mumba_Jasmine

@OrdArtists

@untold_arts

@NNadifactress

Website: untoldarts.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

I met up and chatted to Hammed Animashaun (Hamz). We talked about how he got into acting, about his current production Barber Shop Chronicles and more.

I met up and chatted to director and playwright Lynette Linton about Assata Taught Me, her show Hashtag Lightie, directing and more.

I met up and chatted to the creative team of Quarter Life Crisis at Ovalhouse as part of their post show Q&A.