Talawa To Present First Outdoor Production THE TIDE

For the first time in the company's thirty-three years, Talawa Theatre Company is to present its first ever show created exclusively for outdoor performance. Co-created by choreographer Jade Hackett and writer Ryan Cameron, The Tide explores the narratives and experiences of migration within The United Kingdom. The Tide is free to view and no booking is required.

Unknown land, new arrivals, boarded doors and a suitcase full of hopes, dreams and aspirations. Through a fusion of hip-hop and live music, The Tide presents an abstract and visually exciting look at stories of arrival, welcome, rejection and exclusion. With live music providing punctuation to the action, The Tide's artists navigate through the storyline reflecting the hopes, fears and experiences of new arrivals to the UK in their new land, holding a mirror to an evolving British culture.

Artistic Director Michael Buffong said: "We wanted to step outside of a traditional theatre setting and engage with audiences in a different way. We also wanted to present complex ideas in a new and exciting way, to find out how audiences thought about these issues and engage with artists whose background wasn't in traditional theatre, so that we could learn from that experience and enrich our work."

The cast includes Davie Bennie, William Brettle, Jackie Kibuka and Elsabet Yonas.

The Tide is a Talawa Theatre Company, Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, and Breakin' Convention co-production. The production is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Brighton Festival and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.

Jade Hackett is a hip-hop theatre practitioner and dance activist who uses movement to address both social and cultural issues. Using her knowledge of street dance styles, she explores themes arising from diverse experiences, including Women, the Black experience, mass incarceration and freedom of speech. Other hip-hop theatre productions include Blaze: The International Tour, Boy Blue Entertainment's Olivier Award-winning The Pied Piper, as well as Zoonation's Into The Hoodz: Remixed, The Mad Hatter's Tea Party and Sylvia. His theatre credits include: Ashley Joseph's Do Not Pop written and Natasha Gordon's Nine Night.

Ryan Cameron is the winner of the 2018 Off West End 'Adopt A Playwright' Award for his play Rhapsody, which was produced at the Arcola Theatre in March 2018. He is an alumnus of the Royal Court's 2017 writers programme and the Soho Theatre 2016/17 Young Company. Ryan's play Queens Of Sheba won the 2018 Edinburgh 'Untapped' Award, having played to sell-out audiences at the Camden Peoples Theatre in October 2017. Ryan is currently on attachment with The Royal Court Theatre, and has also been commissioned by The Royal Court Theatre.

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