Beneatha’s Place by Kwame Kwei-Armah

Directed by Denzel Westley-Sanderson Choreography by Tinovimbanashe Sibanda Set and Costume Design by Nicolai Hart-Hansen Lighting Design by Seb Blaber Sound Design by Beth Duke Perfomed by Mountview’s Third Year Undergraduate Acting students Technical Roles by Mountview’s Second, Third Year & Diploma Theatre Production Arts students

7-10 April 2021 Backstage Theatre Photo by RULER

ABOUT MOUNTVIEW

Excellence, Access and Innovation in dramatic training are at the heart of our work. Since 1945, we have trained the very best performers, directors, theatre production artists and producers. We are committed to ensuring our community of over 500 students is representative and that drama training is accessible to all.

Opened in 2018, our home in Peckham was conceived in partnership with Southwark Council as a truly 21st-century drama school and a creative arts hub for all. Our state-of-the-art facilities include the 200-seat Mountview Theatre (made possible by a £1m donation from Sir Cameron Mackintosh), the 80-seat Backstage Theatre, 21 acting/dance studios, TV and radio suites and production workshops. In recognition of their extraordinary work in establishing Mountview’s new home and for their commitment to promoting inclusivity, Joint Chief Executives Stephen Jameson and Sarah Preece were presented with Olivier Awards in 2020.

Shortlisted for the RIBA Regional Awards and Stage Awards Theatre Building of the Year, our new home is not only a vital resource for our students, but also an emerging centre of excellence for accessibility in the arts. Our fully accessible building is home to leading disability arts practitioners Candoco Dance amongst a number of other resident professional companies.

Today’s students will join a constellation of graduates making their mark on the profession. Actor Noah Thomas (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Actor/Writer Amy Trigg (winner, inaugural Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020), Olivier Award-winning Actor/Writer Giles Terera MBE (Hamilton) and Michael Longhurst, Artistic Director of the are just a few of our notable alumni.

The Backstage Theatre was made possible by the generosity of Lady Susie Sainsbury and the Backstage Trust. It is named in honour of their extraordinary founding gift in support of Mountview’s new home. Susie understood and committed to the vision of a new Mountview in Peckham from the outset, and we will always be deeply grateful to her for championing the project and supporting the next generation of performers and theatre makers at Mountview. THE JUDI DENCH FUND THANK YOU We believe that all young people with the talent and drive to succeed should be supported to pursue lifelong careers in Mountview extends a sincere thank you to the the arts. individuals and organisations who generously support our work, including the following major donors: The Judi Dench Fund for Access to Drama Training invests in initiatives that break down barriers to drama training, The Mackintosh Foundation including a nationwide talent scouting network, scholarships, The Backstage Trust hardship grants and wellbeing and welfare support. Southwark Council The Leverhulme Trust Like charities everywhere, Mountview is facing unprecedented Sir Trevor and Lady Susan Chinn challenges and the Judi Dench Fund has never been more André and Judith Ptaszynski vital. Financial need amongst students is at an all-time high Mr Peter Williams and Ms Heather Acton and help at this critical moment could make the difference Foundation between a young artist flourishing and being unable to Elaine Paige OBE sustain themselves through their training. Mr Jamie Lonsdale Sir Clive Jones and Dame Vikki Heywood If you enjoy this performance, please consider donating what Scops Arts Trust you would have paid for a ticket. Together we can directly Noël Coward Foundation alter the prospects of young people at a pivotal moment in Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation their lives. And those who wish to remain anonymous.

To make a gift or find out more, we warmly invite you to visit our website or get in touch with the Development team. Thank you.

‘Mountview was the only school willing to give someone like me a chance. I was going through the homeless system when I applied and I thought going to drama school was going to be an impossible mission, but then Mountview offered me a place and a full scholarship - it changed my life. Knowing the Judi Dench Fund will help future students in my position is amazing.’

CHARLIE HEPTINSTALL BA (Hons) Performance - Acting 2020 graduate Photo by RULER Inspired by Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park, Beneatha’s Place follows Beneatha Younger at two pivotal moments in her life. We meet her as a young woman moving from 1950s Chicago to Nigeria on the eve of its independence from British colonial rule, and as an academic in contemporary America, exploring the nature of identity, community and what it means to become a leader.

CAST DURATION 105 MINUTES TASHINGA DÉJA J. JACOB ADAM BEPETE BOWENS BUKASA JASEN

Joseph Asagai Funmilayo Alaiyo-Beneatha Asagai Tunde ∙ Wale Oguns Mr. Nelson ∙ Prof. Gary Jacobs Funmilayo ∙ Dean Beneatha Asagai-Younger

TAYA ELISE TOM GEORGIA MING O’MEARA PAGE THRUSSELL

Aunty Fola Dr. Harriet Banks Daniel Barnes ∙ Prof. Mark Bond Mrs Nelson

PRODUCTION

DIRECTOR STAGE MANAGER PRODUCTION SOUND ENGINEER SCENIC ARTISTS/PROP MAKERS DENZEL WESTLEY-SANDERSON CAROLINE LOWE LIBBIE READ † TEGAN ROSS ‡ HANNAH SUTHERLAND ‡ MOVEMENT DIRECTOR DEPUTY STAGE MANAGER SOUND NO. 1 FRANCESCA GRASSO ‡ TINOVIMBANASHE SIBANDA IAN S. MURPHY † HANNAH MACDONALD VISION MIXER SET & COSTUME DESIGNER ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS SOUND NO. 2 MATTHEW GREED † NICOLAI HART-HANSEN LILI FULLER † ETHAN TRAYNOR † LOUISA KEMP † VIDEO TECHNICIAN LIGHTING DESIGNER SOUND NO. 3 NATHAN BROWN † SEB BLABER BILLY HIGHFIELD † PRODUCTION LX † RUTH HARVEY ** SOUND DESIGNER LEAD CARPENTER Theatre Directing student † BETH DUKE LX PROGRAMMING MENTOR TOM BARNETT Theatre Production Arts student COLIN EVERSDIJK † ‡ Scenic Art and Prop Making VOICE COACH DEPUTY LEAD CARPENTER student ESI ACQUAAH-HARRISON LX NO. 2 EMMA HAYWARD JOSHUA ROONEY-WALKER † WARDROBE MANAGER/SUPERVISOR LEAD SCENIC ARTISTS THANKS TO KATE PAGE LX NO. 3 AURELIE CLARK AUTOGRAPH SOUND RECORDING EFA GREGORY † MORWENNA GOODBAN WHITE LIGHT LTD ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARTIN HARMAN DÉSIRÉE WENGER ** LX NO. 4 DEPUTY SCENIC ARTIST/PROP ZIHAIRE ADAMS † MAKER PRODUCTION MANAGER EMMA FROUD ALYSHA LAVINIERE KWAME KWEI-ARMAH Writer TINOVIMBANASHE SIBANDA Movement Director

Kwame Kwei-Armah is British actor, playwright, director and Tinovimbanashe is an actor and movement artist. As an actor, she has broadcaster. In 2018 he was made Artistic Director of the worked in renowned venues such as Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Theatre, where he has directed Twelfth Night and Tree. The Barbican, , The , The , most recently the Olivier Stage at the National Theatre and From 2011 to 2018 he was previously the Artistic Director of Baltimore soon to be appearing at . Alongside experience of Center Stage where he directed: Jazz, Marley, One Night in Miami, ensemble, swing and dance captain work, her creative work includes Amadeus, Dance of the Holy Ghosts, The Mountaintop, An Enemy of movement direction for the music video Blessed for Juls curated by the People, The Whipping Man and Things of Dry Hours. TEN (The Essence of Noire), Associate Choreographer for Identity (CTC Dance Company) at Theatre Peckham and her creative platform Other work as a director includes: Twelfth Night, Comedy of Errors, EZOMGIDO, where she focuses on creating work that combines her Much Ado About Nothing, Detroit’67 (Public Theatre, New York), versatile background with her evolving artistic voice. The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre, New York/Oregon Shakespeare Festival), (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) the Olivier NICOLAI HART-HANSEN Set and Costume Designer Nominated One Night in Miami for Best New Play 2016 (Donmar Warehouse) and One Love (Birmingham Repertory Theatre). Nicolai works as a theatre designer in opera, dance and drama in the UK, Europe and the US. He has worked with companies and theatres As a playwright his credits include Tree (Manchester International such as Belarus Free Theatre, Told by an Idiot, Company of Angels, Festival, Young Vic), One Love (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Rambert Dance Company, The Royal Court, ROH2, Lyric Hammersmith, Beneatha’s Place (Baltimore Center Stage), Elmina’s Kitchen, Fix Up, Dane Hurst Company, Nitro Theatre Company, Rejects Revenge, Statement of Regret (National Theatre), Let There Be Love and Seize , York Theatre Royal, The Arcola, Splitmoon the Day (Tricycle Theatre). Theatre, The and Candoco. Nicolai is represented by Rachel Daniels at berlinassociates.com Kwame was Artistic Director for the Festival of Black arts and Culture, Senegal, in 2010. He conceived and directed the opening ceremony SEB BLABER Lighting Designer at Senghor National stadium. He was an Associate Director of the Seb is a lighting designer for theatre and attractions, He trained at Donmar Warehouse and has served on the boards of the National University of the Arts London. His recent design credit includes, No Theatre, Tricycle Theatre, and Theatre Communications Group. Kwame One In This World (), Oregano (Bridewell Theatre), was the Chancellor of the University of the Arts London from 2010 to Snow White (Queens Theatre), Boy (Backstage Theatre), Her Naked 2015, and in 2012 was awarded an OBE for Services to Drama. Skin (Backstage Theatre), Whistle Down the Wind (Minack), Jesus In 2012, 2013 and 2014 Kwame was named Best Director in City Christ Super Star (Regal/Minack), Paw Patrol Arena Tour - Relighter Paper’s Best of Baltimore Awards and in 2015 was nominated for the (Tour/Abu Dhabi), The Nature of Why (International tour), A Raisin in prestigious Stage Directors and Choreographers Zelda Fichandler the Sun (Mountview), Jamaica Inn (Tour), PLAY (Tour), Hammer House Award for Best Regional Artistic Director. In 2016 he was awarded of Horrors ( Hall), : Re:werk (Tour), Virtually Dead the Urban Visionary Award alongside House Representative Elijah (London/Paris) and Napoli Milionaria (Mountview). Cummings by the Center for Urban Families for his work in the Baltimore community. In 2019 he was the Chair of the Bruntwood Prize BETH DUKE Sound Designer for Playwriting. Kwame is a patron of Ballet Black and a visiting fellow Beth Duke is a theatre sound designer and composer, recent credits of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. include: J’ouvert (), One Jewish Boy (Trafalgar Studios/West End/UK tour), Scenes with Girls, Living Newspaper (Royal Watch Kwame being interviewed for Mountview LIVE on the Court Theatre), Deathdrop (), Gentlemen, Pipeline, A Mountview YouTube channel – MountviewLDN Fantastic Bohemian, Lovesick (), Reimagining (), One Under with Graeae Theatre Company (Plymouth Drum/ DENZEL WESTLEY-SANDERSON Director UK tour), Superstar, Anything Is Possible If You Think Hard Enough Denzel Westley-Sanderson trained at Mountview graduating in 2017, About It (), New Views (Dorfman Theatre, National after graduating Denzel was a part of the resident directors’ pool Theatre), Silence (Mercury Theatre/UK tour), Instructions for a Teenage at the Almeida Theatre. Denzel has previously worked at the Park Armageddon (Old Red Lion), Split!, Boots, Lovely & Jason, Alice, Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Stratford East and the Edinburgh Fringe Patricia Gets Ready, Head of State, Goodbear (VAULTS Festival), - winning the Fringe Review award for ‘Exciting New Work’. Denzel was Together, Not the Same (Sadler’s Wells Theatre), Queen Margaret, the associate director on Equus (Trafalgar Studios) and in 2020 Denzel 5/11, Emilia (Mountview), Great Expectations (Geffrey Museum), co-directed Jesus Christ Superstar the Concert (Regent’s Park Open Around the Block (Etcetera), Eros (White Bear), Breathe (Tristan Bates), Air Theatre). Most recently Denzel was the Associate Director on Dick Boxman (UK tour), Little Did I Know (Bread & Roses), The State of Whittington (National Theatre). Things (Brockley Jack Studio), Katzenmusik, Hamlet (Royal Central School of Speech and Drama), Ulsta Americans, Hyenas (LAMDA). As associate - War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience (56 Leadenhall Street), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tobacco Factory), Apollo 13 (Original Theatre Company), Goodbear, Do Our Best (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and Dust (New York Theatre Workshop).

We don’t want to give away any ‘spoilers’ for a show, but understand that some content may cause distress for WARNING audiences. If there are certain themes or content that you would find particularly upsetting, we encourage you to contact us before viewing to find out more about the show - please email [email protected].

Beneatha’s Place contains depictions and discussion of racism and colonialism (including racist images, items and language), threat and injury (not depicted on-stage), strobe lighting, and one instance of an explosion (off-stage). COMING UP NEXT

14 - 17 April 2021

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President Dame Judi Dench CH DBE Principal & Artistic Director Stephen Jameson Executive Director Sarah Preece Chairman Dame Vikki Heywood CBE Board of Directors Sir Brendan Barber · Lady Susan Chinn · Laura Gander-Howe · Trevor Jackson · Benjamin Lafayette · Andrew Parker · John Reiss · Cllr Johnson Situ Dame Rosemary Squire OBE · Giles Terera MBE · Artistic Associates Maria Aberg · Annabel Arden · Paul Arditti · Neil Austin · Alecky Blythe · Paul Clay · Aletta Collins · Lindsey Coulson Brian Cox CBE · Martin Duncan · David Edelstein · Philip Engleheart · Alasdair Flint · Howard Goodall CBE · Douglas Henshall · Amanda Holden · Terry Johnson · Akram Khan MBE Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE · Leigh Lawson · Dame Twiggy Lawson · Eddie Marsan · Elaine Paige OBE · Michael Pennington · Tom Piper MBE · Indhu Rubasingham MBE · Liam Steel Ken Stott · Sarah Travis · Roy Williams OBE · Anton Woodward OBE Registered Office: 120 Peckham Hill Street, London SE15 5JT · Registered Charity No: 274166 · Incorporated In England No: 01019858