Pioneering theatre company, Headlong, has announced that their fresh new staging of A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Tinuke Craig (Trouble in Butetown, Jitney, Crave, The Color Purple), is now available to stream on Digital Theatre+.
The streaming features eight key scenes from the production alongside teaching and education materials for subscribing schools and universities in the UK and US. Captured live on a UK tour in 2024, this co-production between Headlong, Leeds Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, and Nottingham Playhouse brings extracts from Hansberry’s landmark play to online audiences.
This long-awaited addition to the DT+ platform provides educators and students with exclusive access to key scene extracts, cast interviews, and dynamic learning resources to support the study of Hansberry’s groundbreaking work.
First produced on Broadway in 1959, A Raisin in the Sun cemented Lorraine Hansberry’s legacy as the first Black woman to have a play staged on Broadway. The play’s exploration of race, economic disparity, family, and the pursuit of the American Dream has made it a cornerstone of English and Theatre curricula.
Holly Race Roughan, Artistic Director of Headlong, said: “Headlong is delighted to be collaborating with Digital Theatre on releasing key extracts from our production of A Raisin in the Sun. It’s thrilling to see Tinuke Craig’s exceptional production continue to live on this platform, ensuring Hansberry’s vital story remains accessible to audiences after the success of the 2024 UK tour.
“This collaboration continues Headlong’s commitment to bringing high-quality drama to audiences in a way that is accessible and engaging.”
Clare Turner, CEO of Digital Theatre+, added: “We are thrilled to bring key scene extracts and cast interviews from Tinuke Craig’s fantastic production of A Raisin in the Sun to Digital Theatre+ users in the US and UK.
“Our mission is to provide every teacher with dynamic, engaging resources that will light up their classrooms, and today’s announcement is a perfect example of how we are achieving that goal.”
The cast includes Doreene Blackstock (Sex Education, Unknown Rivers) as Lena, Joséphine-Fransilja Brookman (High Times and Dirty Monsters, A Pigment of Your Imagination, Macbeth) as Beneatha, Cash Holland (A Streetcar Named Desire, Odyssey, Julius Caesar) as Ruth, Solomon Israel (Jitney, The Barber Shop Chronicles, Miss Littlewood) as Walter Lee, Gilbert Kyem Jnr (The Milkmans Purpose, Love Speech) as George, Kenneth Omole (Top Boy, Macbeth, Barbershop Chronicles) as Joseph/Bobo, and Jonah Russell (Arms and the Man, I, Joan, The Brilliant Friend) as Karl. The role of Travis was performed by Jayden Dias, Josh Ndlovu, Adiel Magaji, and Jeriah Kibusi across the UK tour in 2024.
The full creative team includes Tinuke Craig (Director), Cécile Trémolières (Set Designer), Maybelle Laye (Costume Designer), Dominique Hamilton (Wigs, Hair & Make-up Designer), Max Pappenheim (Composer & Sound Designer), Joshua Pharo (Lighting Designer), Sarita Piotrowski (Movement Director), Haruka Kuroda (Fight & Intimacy Director), Aundrea Fudge (Voice & Dialect Coach), Phillipe Cato (Associate Director), Ruta Irbite (Design Associate), Luke Haywood (Lighting Associate), Lotte Hines (Casting Director), and Joi Gresham (Literary Trustee).
More information can be found here.
