Theatre Peckham’s Young, Gifted and Black season celebrates the exciting talent of young Black British artists and aligns with the Black History Month 2025 theme, Standing Firm in Power and Pride.
The season runs from Thursday 2 October – Sunday 2 November and is a vibrant programme of theatre, spoken word and cultural exchange. This year’s theme, recognised by Southwark Council, speaks directly to Theatre Peckham’s mission to spotlight untold stories, celebrate cultural identity, and empower future generations through the arts.
As Theatre Peckham looks ahead to its 40th anniversary in 2026, Young, Gifted & Black builds on its rich legacy of platforming emerging Black talent, while honouring the trailblazers whose courage and creativity continue to shape our cultural landscape.
Dr Suzann McLean MBE said: “In 2025, we stand firm in pride and in purpose. This theme resonates deeply with what we’ve been building at Theatre Peckham for decades: an empowering space for Black excellence to thrive. We’re especially proud that this year, YGB has extended to Canada Water Theatre, allowing us to further our commitment to platforming local talent. With a focus on Southwark-based artists, we’re celebrating the richness of creativity within our own borough and creating even more opportunities for underrepresented voices to be seen, heard, and valued.”
Last year’s season set a high bar with The Power of Representation, a landmark event that brought together the cast of Netflix’s hit series Supacell and the Sickle Cell Society with an open community discussion on creativity and Sickle Cell awareness. It was a moment where art and activism converged, reflecting the role Theatre Peckham plays in the cultural and social life of South London.
This year, Theatre Peckham proudly spotlights the Elevating Spoken Word Theatre project, funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The project seeks to position Spoken Word Theatre as a recognised and respected genre within the wider theatre landscape, pushing the boundaries of form, voice, and visibility.
This year’s Young, Gifted and Black season will feature two new spoken word plays: Made You Look by Ty’rone Haughton, a visceral and explosive exploration of what it means to be both Jamaican and a man in a split Britain, and Runner Girl by Lara Grace Ilori, a piece full of poems and prayers, rhymes and rhythms, and music and movement, visiting love lost, old wounds, and new truths. These rising artists perform alongside the regular Poetry Foyer, an intimate space for audiences to engage with poetry and Spoken Word in a live, accessible setting.
Lauryn-Joy Williams, project lead of Elevating Spoken Word Theatre, shares: “Spoken Word is theatre, raw, immediate, and rooted in truth. This project is about carving out space for artists whose voices have always mattered, even when the industry failed to recognise them. I hope that through this project we can empower artists and support innovation in the theatre sector, which resonates with my practice and ambitions as a poet, actress, and creative producer. To see this work uplifted at Theatre Peckham, a home for community and creativity, is both powerful and poetic.” With this focus, Theatre Peckham continues its commitment diversifying the voices, forms, and narratives that take centre stage within British Theatre.
Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil St, London, SE5 7SB and Canada Water Theatre, 21 Surrey Quays Road, SE16 7AR from Thursday 2 October – Sunday 2 November.
Check website for booking and full event details: https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/shows-events/#
