Catalogue description Files related to the Black Theatre Season Festival

Files on the Black Theatre Seasons (1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990). Lack of funding eventually prevented the production of any further season. Arstic activities were continued through a number of workshops and commissioned work.

Some of the records related to the Black Theatre Seasons have been sourced by the Creative Director of Re-membering Black Performance and added to the archive.

Black Theatre Seasons shows

Information provided by Dr Alda Terracciano

1983

Arts Theatre

Opening October 4

Nevis Mountain Dew, by Steve Carter. Presented by Black Theatre Co-operative. Director Rufus Collins. Designer Paddy Kamara. Sound Designer and Assistant Lighting Designer, Roylyn Leonard. Actors: Nadia Cattouse, Guy Gregory, Mona Hammond, Mark Heath, Isabelle Lucas, Jason Rose, T-Bone Wilson.

Opening October 25

Two Can Play, by Trevor Rhone. Presented by Inventory Productions. Director Anton Phillips. Designers Anton Phillips and Max Alfonso. Lighting Designer Charles Wood. Actors: Allistair Bain and Corinne Skinner-Carter.

Opening November 15

The Outlaw, by Michael Abbensetts. Presented by Carib Theatre Production. Director Robert Gillespie. Designer Roger Turton. Actors: Tony Hippolyte, Wolfe Morris, Raul Newney, Jacqueline Pearce and Joy Richardson.

Opening December 6

Fishing, by Paulette Randall. Presented by Black Woman Time Now. Director Yvonne Brewster. Designer Lubaina Himid. Actors: Yvonne Gidden, Peggy Phango, Corinne Skinner-Carter, Ellen Thomas.

1985

Arts Theatre

Opening January 9

Scrape off the Black, by Tunde Ikoli. Presented by Temba Theatre Company. Director Alby James. Actors: Catherine Terris, Carole Harrison, Ben Onwukwe, Stephen Persaud.

Opening February 6

Vigilantes, by Farrukh Dhondy. Presented by Asian Co-operative Theatre. Director Penny Cherns. Designer Suresh Vedak. Lighting Designer, Paul Armstrong. Actors: Bhasker, Hermage Kalirai, Kishore D. Chauhan, Aftab Sachar, Rita Wolf, Shelley King, Ursula Jones.

Opening March 6

The New Hardware Store, by Earl Lovelace. Director Yvonne Brewster. Designer Julia Fletcher. Lighting Designer Paul Armstrong. Actors: Allistair Bain, Jim Findlay, Joan-Ann Maynard and Janet Palmer.

1986

Arts Theatre

Opening January 8

The Little Clay Cart, by Shudraka. Presented by Tara Arts Company. Director Jatinder Verma. Choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh. Designer Ann Hubbard. Costume Designer Magdalene Rubalcava. Lighting Designer Paul Armstrong. Actors: Yogesh Bhatt, Naushaba Khan, Ayub Khan Din, Nizwar Karanj, Bhaskar, Paul Bhattarjee, Sudha Bhuchar and Mala Sikka.

Opening February 5

Rakshasa's Ring, by Visikhadatta. Director Anton Phillips. Designer Marsha Roddy. Lighting Designer Paul Armstrong. Actors: Wyllie Longmore, Renu Setna, Ronny Cush, Kaleem Janjua, Tony Wredden, Naim Khan, Anthony D. Lennon, Elvis Payne, Aftab Sachak, Josephine Welcome.

Opening March 7

The Pirate Princess, by Barbara Gloudon. Presented by Temba Theatre Company. Directors Alby James and Paulette Randall. Music Composer and Director Felix Cross. Choreographer Deirdre Lovell. Designer Clarinda Salandy. Lighting Designer Paul Armstrong. Actors: Dona Croll, Alphonsia Emmanuel, Milton Godfrey, Susan Harper Browne, Doreen Ingleton, Vernon Nesbeth, Eddie Nestor, Vivienne Rochester, Connie Thomas, Junior A. Walker and a number of young people from youth groups in the London area.

1987

Arts Theatre

Opening September 2

Remembrance, by Derek Walcott. Director Carmen Munroe. Trainee Director Yogesh Bhatt. Designer Andrea Montag. Lighting Designer Richard Moffatt. Actors: Allister Bain, Corinne Skinner-Carter, Jim Findley, Calvin Simpson, Kelvin Omard, Amanda Holt, Doyne Byrd.

Opening September 30

Moondance Night, by Edgar White. Director Yvonne Brewster. Trainee Director William Jorite. Designer Jane Ripley. Lighting Designer Richard Moffat. Actors Isabelle Lucas, Yazmine Judd, Jean Binta Breeze, Ronny Cush, Jason Rose, Sylvester Williams, Malcolm Connell, Lenny Edwardes.

Opening October 28

Tewodros, by Tsegate Gabre Medhin. Director Jatinder Verma. Trainee Director Derek Blackwood. Designer Nigel Pravavalka. Costume Designer Farroukh Abdella. Lighting Designer Richard Moffatt. Actors: Lenny Ewdards, Calvin Simpson, Janet Kay, Victor Romero Evans, Anthony Lennon, Joy Elias-Rilwan, Chris Tajah, Chris Tummings, Faith Tingle.

1989

Show Theatre

Opening January 25

Dog, by Dennis Scott. Director Paulette Randall. Designer Emma Frater. Lighting Designer Richard Moffatt. Choreographer Wanjiru Gichigi. Actors: Calvin Simpson, Robbie Gee, Jo Marin, Roger Griffiths, Faith Tingle, Victor Romero Evans, Kwabena Manso.

Opening February 15

Double Bill:

Lazarus and his Beloved, by Kahil Gibran. Director Renu Setna. Designer Souheil Sleiman. Lighting Designer Shangara Singh. Actors: Anthony D. Lenon, Misli Alan, Carol Vieira, Alibe Parsons, Mark Lloyd, Billy Braham.

Song of Death, by Tewfik El-Hakim. Director Renu Setna. Designer Souheil Sleiman. Lighting Designer Shangara Singh. Actors: Alibe Parsons, Alaknanda Samarth, Mark Lloyd, Rezaul Kabir.

Opening March 8

Beef, No Chicken, by Derek Walcott. Director John Matshikiza. Designer Janey Gardiner. Lightin Designer Francis Stevenson. Music Consultant Ram John Holder. Actors: Syreeta Kuar, Shango Baku, Carmen Munroe, Roger Griffiths, Ram John Holder, Jo Martin, Beresford Le Roy, Susan Lycett, T-Bone Wilson, Jim Findley, Vincent Wong Calvin Simpson, Rony Cush.

1990

Riverside Studios

Opening Febraury 23

Say Hallelujah, by Jimi Rand. Director Malcolm Frederick. Designer Jaqueline Gunn. Lighting Designer Larry Coke. Actors: Beejaye, Anthony Corriette, Stephen Kalipha, Janet Kay, Paul Mackenzie, Josephine Melville, Marsha Millar, Herbert Norville, Basil Otoin, Ellen Thomas.

Eden, by Steven Carter, Director Alby James. Designer Clary Salandy. Lighting Designer Larry Coke. Music Composer Steven Woodcock, Actors: Freddie Brooks, Burt Caesar, Lachele Carl, Jaye Griffiths, Alibe Parsons, Sylvester Williams, Steven Woodcock, Angela Wynter.

Opening April 21

Blood Sweat And Fears, by Maria Oshodi. Director Yvonne Brewster. Designer Helen Turner. Lighting Designer Larry Coke. Actors: Roger Griffiths, Yazmine Judd, Christine McEachern, Gregory Munroe, Mo Sesay, Heronimo Sehmi, Teohna Williams, Stacey Zuckerman.