Blue Elephant Theatre, Camberwell

Five short monologues have been written specially for Blue Elephant Theatre for Black History Month 2020. These monologues by Sandra Brown Springer, Elizabeth Adejimi, Angela Mhlanga, Saana Sze, Olu Alakija are inspired by Black people of past and present and intended to introduce young people to heroes they may not have heard of previously.

The monologues focus on Mary Prince, the first woman to have her account of slavery published in Britain, Mary Seacole, who nursed men on the battlefield of the Crimea, Madam CJ Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in America, Claudia Jones, activist and a founder of Notting Hill Carnival, and legendary tennis player Serena Williams.

The monologues are being recorded as rehearsed readings by Sharla Smith, Romy Foster and Amelia Parillon. They will premiere on Saturday 24th October at 12pm and will be available to view here.

This work is funded by Southwark’s Black History Month Fund.