Olivier Award-nominated playwright Ryan Calais Cameron has announced The Ryan Calais Cameron Season, a major new initiative launching at Broadway Theatre, Catford from 1 July to 25 October 2026.
The programme is designed to tackle the growing crisis in new writing by supporting emerging British playwrights, particularly those from Black and Global Majority backgrounds.
Developed in association with Broadway Theatre, the season will provide mentorship, financial backing, dramaturgical support and a full production pathway for three early-career writers from Lewisham.
Justice Ezi, Demi Wilson-Smith and Kaleb D’Aguilar will see their plays Last Goal Wins, Cranes and How to Keep Warm in Winter developed from script to fully staged productions, each receiving a 12-performance run in the theatre’s studio.
Ryan Calais Cameron said: “Growing up in Lewisham, the Broadway Theatre was the place that sparked my creative imagination. To establish this season is a dream come true, but more importantly, it’s a structural necessity. The new writing sector is facing a massive crisis, and we risk losing an entire generation of vital Global Majority working-class voices if we don’t build doors for them to walk through.
“Justice, Demi, and Kaleb are phenomenal talents. What makes their plays so unique is how fiercely they capture universal truths, culture, and deep personal resilience. I’m incredibly proud to provide the resources and mentorship they deserve, and I can’t wait to champion their work as it takes centre stage in Catford.”
The season opens with Last Goal Wins (1–12 July), a high-stakes football drama by Justice Ezi exploring identity, power and Nigerian football culture.
Later in the programme, Demi Wilson-Smith’s Cranes (23 September–4 October) examines the personal cost of activism, drawing on her own experiences to tell a story about protest, justice and resilience.
The season concludes with How to Keep Warm in Winter (14–25 October), Kaleb D’Aguilar’s Caribbean love story set in 1970s London, exploring migration, race and economic hardship.
Broadway Theatre’s Principal Producer Carmel O’Connor said: “New writing cannot survive without venues taking risks and a leap of faith. At Broadway Theatre, we are committed to funding and producing new work at scale in a meaningfully way that supports underrepresented writers and gives a voice to untold stories. We are incredibly proud to partner with Ryan, one of our country’s most exciting playwrights on his landmark season which delivers on this promise – bringing powerful and very personal ‘page to stage’ narratives to life through fully realised productions in our Studio theatre.
“These three plays deserve to be seen by audiences. At a time when others are stepping back, Broadway Theatre is pushing forward and demonstrating what is possible when a venue invests in and commits to their long-term development.”
The initiative also has support from Lewisham Council, with Cllr Rotimi Skyers highlighting the importance of creating opportunities for underrepresented voices in theatre.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
