Photos: In Rehearsal for The Inbetweeners' A PLACE FOR WE

The cast of the world premiere co-production of A Place for We presented by Park Theatre and Talawa is currently in rehearsals. Go inside the process below!

Conceived by multi award- winning writer Archie Maddocks and directed by Talawa's Artistic Director, Michael Buffong, this bittersweet comedy-drama rejoices in the familiar comforts of London's diverse communities, whilst confronting how the rapid pace of change can erode deeply held traditions.

A pub. A funeral parlour. An urban-zen enoteca and conscious eatery. One building in Brixton tells the story of London's changing communities over three very different generations. Shortlisted for both the Bruntwood Prize and Alfred Fagon Award, A Place for We explores the need to survive in an ever-changing London community whilst battling with the desire to stay true to family, heritage and tradition.

Further casting includes Joanna Horton (Fish Tank; Othello, The Globe), Laurence Ubong Williams (The Welkin, The National; Stop and Search, Theatre503), Kirsty Oswald (The Girl on the Train, UK Tour / West End; Things I Know To Be True, Frantic Assembly) and Harold Addo (Holes, Nottingham Playhouse/ UK Tour; Spring Awakening, Young Vic).

Park Theatre and Talawa Theatre Company are delighted to stage the World Premiere of this powerful production, which holds a mirror up to London's communities in the wake of the Windrush scandal and attempts to uncover the one thing they all have in common: their beating heart.

Talawa's Artistic Director and Joint CEO, Michael Buffong said, In Talawa's 35-year history we've been at the forefront of presenting the issues faced by our communities. More than ever, gentrification is the pressing issue of our day, in Finsbury Park and across Britain's cities. Archie's play, A Place for We, grabbed us when we first read it in 2017. We programmed it in our new writing season Talawa Firsts in 2018, and the response confirmed our instincts; here was a special story from a special storyteller. We are so very pleased to present the full production to this audience at Park Theatre.

Archie Maddocks is an emerging screenwriter and playwright with his work already having been produced at the Bush Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, Orange Tree Theatre, Royal Court, and in New York at the New Light Theatre. He was commissioned by the Bush for a full-length play and is also currently writing a new play for Northern Stage as one of two playwrights commissioned under the Revolution Mix scheme: an initiative to increase the presence of ethnically diverse stories on the stage.

The UK's outstanding Black British theatre company, Talawa celebrates its 35th anniversary this year with a season of work showcasing unmissable established and emerging Black talent. Talawa's forward-looking anniversary season includes works-in-progress by promising writers, the company's first outdoor production, the return of one of the company's most innovative shows and a production that lost out on its original staging due to the pandemic.

Photo Credit: Mark Douet

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