...blackbird hour
Written by babirye bukilwa | Directed by malakaï sargeantA poignant and striking piece of theatre
“This love word. Do people just use it when they feel sorry?”
Eshe hasn’t left the flat.
Loved-ones keep reaching out: blowing up her phone and showing up at her front door. They say they’re going to “save” her. She’s not saying anything back.
Until, in the dark early hours, surrounded by half-eaten food, dirty washing and a damn good playlist, she focuses on the letter in front of her.
…blackbird hour is a visceral and moving exploration of a queer Black woman’s call to arms for loving oneself when love has made itself scarce. Making its world premiere in early 2025, babirye bukilwa’s profound insight into caring and belonging serves as a continuation of their critically acclaimed playwriting debut …cake (Theatre Peckham).
Finalist for the Bruntwood Prize, Women’s Prize for Playwriting, and the Alfred Fagon Award.
Produced by Vital Xposure. Supported by the Talawa Firsts programme. With thanks to National Theatre.
*Discount applies to ‘Standard’, ‘Standard with Babe In Arms’ and ‘18 and Under’ ticket types only (not ‘Open Concession’ or ‘Pay It Forward’)
A mix of poetry and use of multi-media ...blackbird hour is a stunning watch which will undoubtedly leave you feeling moved
Access Information
Every performance of ...blackbird hour has Creative Captioning.
Creative Captioned performances convert live spoken word into text that appears on a screen for D/deaf or hard of hearing audiences. However, rather than standard captioning, the text is considered as part of the set design, and may be animated and move across the screen, or appear in different colours or fonts. Creative Captioning also typically appears as a projection at the back of the stage, rather than on separate screens. The captions are embedded within the production and mean the performance is accessible to d/Deaf audiences, but can also be enjoyed by hearing audiences.
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…blackbird hour absolutely stands on its own, a dark exploration of the effects of psychosis on an individual’s sense of self.
A mix of poetry and use of multi-media ...blackbird hour is a stunning watch which will undoubtedly leave you feeling moved
Utterly arresting
A demonstration of grief and pain as well as love and care
Photos by Seye Isikalu
