Following a successful first series in 2021, Talawa Stories is returning to BBC Radio 4 with three fresh, powerful audio dramas in 2024, presented by Talawa, the UK’s outstanding Black theatre company. The cast bringing to life these new audio dramas has been announced, including BBC Radio’s very own Jumoké Fashola, House of the Dragon star Wil Johnson and TV stars Petra Letang and Karl Collins.
On 9th January, Rashida Seriki’s BABYDYKE will kick off the Talawa Stories season, starring Bola Akeju (Ted Lasso, Apple TV; School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play; Lyric Hammersmith) as Phoenix; babirye bukilwa (Dreaming Whilst Black, BBC Three; We Hunt Together, Alibi) as Tara; Wil Johnson (House of the Dragon, HBO; Outlander, Starz) as Lesley; and Lorraine Adeyefa (Anthem, Almeida Theatre; random, tiata fahodzi) as Maureen. Directed by Tian Brown-Sampson, BABYDYKE is a searing exploration of youthful romance, familial responsibility and negotiating independence, dissecting the complexities of navigating repressed sexuality as a young Black Londoner.
Starring in lydia luke’s copper & lead on 13th January is Petra Letang (Eastenders and Holby City, BBC) as Nancy; Phoebe McIntosh (Dominoes, UK tour; The Soon Life, Talawa Studio) as Joyce; Alison A Addo (Insomnia, Paramount+; The School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls, Lyric Hammersmith) as Friend 1, 2, 3, and Doctor; Karl Collins (Doctor Who, BBC; Culprits, Disney+) as Jeremiah; and Mellieha Mazombwe as Agnes. An explosive secret threatens to shatter a young Black couple’s life in this 1970s, Midlands-set examination of medical negligence and disposability, in an alternate history of one of the harshest winters the country has ever faced. Phillip J. Morris directs this poetic production.
Playwright babirye bukilwa’s haunting and urgent The Master’s House will star Unique Spencer (Top Boy, Netflix; Losing It, BBC) as December; Heather Agyepong (The Power, Amazon Prime; This Is Going to Hurt, BBC) as May; Danielle Kassaraté (The Sandman, Netflix) as April; award-winning BBC Radio London host Jumoké Fashola (Riches, ITV/Amazon; Beneatha’s Palace, Young Vic) as September and Mohammed Mansaray (Rules of the Game, BBC; Gassed Up, Sunrise Films) as Man/Master. The Master’s House is directed by malakaï sargeant and airs on 23rd January. This gripping, feminist drama sees four women – stripped of their true names – plot their escape from the master’s house and the violence of patriarchy.
Talawa Stories follows the success of the first series in 2021, which saw three original audio drams by Sian Carter, Charles Entsie and Roberta Livingstone air to acclaim, with casts including Don Warrington, Sharon D Clarke and Alfred Enoch. One of the radio dramas, Running With Lions, went on to have a stage life at Lyric Hammersmith in 2022.
