Black Theatre

What links Lorraine Hansberry on Broadway in the 50s with the textual breaks of debbie tucker green, a contemporary London author? Does a “black theatre” really exist? How does the stage dialogue with social movements, performing arts languages and the politics of representation? What role has the English-speaking world played in its development?

From the stages of the United States, where the first organized black dramaturgies emerged, to the voices that today reconfigure the scene in places like London, black theatre has been a space of resistance, memory and play. Thanks to its revolutionary drive, it has shaped a recognisable and constantly evolving movement. We will take a tour of its main historical lines and key figures, to think about how black theatre has been built – and where it is headed.

Denise Duncan is a playwright, director and screenwriter.