Society for Theatre Research Annual Address 2019

Delivered by Yvonne Brewster OBE

Yvonne Brewster co-founded Talawa Theatre Company along with Carmen Munroe, Mona Hammond and Inigo Espejel in 1986.

Talawa was created in direct response to Yvonne Brewster’s recognition of the lack of creative opportunities for actors from minority ethnic backgrounds and the general marginalisation of Black peoples from cultural processes that was prevalent at the time of the Company’s inception. Since 1986, Talawa has grown to become one of the most successful Black theatre companies in the UK. It has mounted more than forty productions – many of which are award-winning – taking in everything from Shakespeare to African classics, Oscar Wilde to new Black British work and Nobel-prize winning playwrights to high-voltage musicals. The Company has performed the work of writers such as C.L.R. James, Derek Walcott, Michael Abbensetts, Wole Soyinka, Patricia Cumper, Mustapha Matura and Michael Bhim.

Yvonne was awarded an OBE in 1993 for Services to the Arts.

She is featured in the archives 100 Great Black Britons, Historical Geographies,The British Blacklist, Unfinished Histories and the National Theatre Black Plays Archive

Yvonne has edited two collections of plays published by Oberon Books, Mixed Company: Three Early Jamaican Plays by Sylvia Winter, Louis Marriott, Cecily Waite-Smith and For The Reckord, three plays by Barry Reckord.

Please note: the Annual Address follows the members-only AGM at 7:00pm. The AGM papers may be accessed here. Entrance to the general public opens at 8:00pm.

All lectures are free, no booking necessary.