Welcome to Talking People, where spontaneity takes centre stage!
After a successful debut, the Talking People team are thrilled to invite you to two electrifying nights of improv, where spontaneity takes centre stage! Two different and equally amazing casts will push the boundaries of creativity, offering a fresh, unique take on characters crafted in real-time by both the actors and you, the audience. No script, no limits.
The first act will burst with inventive energy, while the second act delves deeper into the intricately woven narratives, exploring unexpected twists in each character’s journey.
While laughter is inevitable, Talking People isn’t a comedy show. Expect grounded moments and raw emotion as characters collide and impact one another in ways that are as unpredictable as they are powerful. With every performance you’re guaranteed a one-of-a-kind storytelling experience that will linger in your memory long after the final bow.
Two shows, two casts, endless possibilities.
‘Feeling Generous’ Tickets
Artists need your support more than ever, so Feeling Generous tickets enable you to pay a little more if you can – this goes directly to supporting this event’s artists.
12th November – Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts), Jonathan Ajayi (Alien: Earth) and Elina Saleh (‘Lie Low’)
13th November – Mohammed Mansaray (Boarders), Reda Elazouar (Sex Education), Aaron Fontaine (The Outpost), Milly Zero (Eastenders), Jessie Bedrossian (Grantchester), Kamal Boulema and Precious Mustapha (Ted Lasso)
Director
Richard Vincent
Producer
Elina Saleh
Co-Producer
Kamal Boulema
Having trained at W.A.C. Arts and the Actors Studio in London, Aaron Fontaine has worked on a broad range of projects for screen and stage in the United Kingdom and in the United States. He recently starred as series regular Tobin Aegisford in The Outpost (Series 2 – 4) for the CW Network in the US. He has recently played the male lead in feature film Tell No Lies in the US. In the UK, he played series regular Ricky in Venus Vs Mars (Sky). Aaron started on stage at the age of 19 doing improv comedy nights in the West End. He has since performed in Kinks and All (Soho Theatre), and in Do you know where your daughter is? (Hackney Empire)
Elina Saleh, an English-born actress of Egyptian, German, and Dutch descent, is also a passionate writer and producer based in London. Elina holds a BA Hons in Acting from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Elina’s notable performances include Esme in the 5 star Amazon Prime feature Lie Low, earning her a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Elina can also be seen playing Lucia in To Love A Narcissist, Polly in The Loss Adjuster alongside Guy Siner and Cathy Tyson, Georgia in the award-winning short Multifacial. Elina’s theatre credits include Siobhan in None Of The Clocks Work at the Young Vic and Theatre Peckham and Sophia in Talking People at the Bush Theatre.
Jessie Bedrossian is a British-Armenian actor from London. Jessie has recently wrapped on Sam Mendes’ The Franchise for HBO, and will shortly been seen playing Danny Dyer’s daughter in short film Eternal Words of a Dead Verse. Further screen credits include Grantchester (ITV) and Casualty (BBC). Jessie is currently in post-production on her short film Pomegranate, which she starred in and executive produced, and explores an intergenerational Armenian family living in the UK facing the rippling effects of denied trauma. Recent theatre credits include Burnt at the Stake (Shakespeares Globe), I Am Karyan Ophidian (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), and Protest Series (Bush Theatre) which was streamed online.
British actor Jonathan Ajayi’s career spans film, television and theater.
Ajayi most recently starred in Phil Allocco’s gripping action-thriller 5lbs of Pressure. He also starred in Mitch Kalisa’s 2021 short film Play It Safe which was the Narrative Short Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winner at SXSW. He also starred in the lead role in Ben Bond’s directorial debut, The Drifters, which premiered at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival. For his outstanding portrayal as Koffee, Ajayi was nominated for a British Independent film award for most promising newcomer and was selected by Screen International as one of their 2021 Stars of Tomorrow. In 2020, he appeared in Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 and was nominated for a British Independent Film Awards for Most Promising Newcomer.
In 2023, Ajayi starred in the second season of Vigil as Wes Harper, the technical lead on a high-tech drone development program within the Royal Airforce. His previous television roles include Lieutenant Lekan Baako in BBC’s adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s dystopian novel, Noughts + Crosses. He will next star in Noah Hawley’s highly anticipated series, Alien: Earth, for FX.
Ajayi won critical acclaim for his theater debut in The Brothers Size at the Young Vic.
He attended the world-leading drama school London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, where he graduated in with top marks.
Kamal Boulema is a Dutch / Moroccan actor and producer born and raised in Amsterdam but now based in London. After pursuing careers as economist, jazz drummer, finance professional and public speaking coach, he set his sights on acting and moved to London to pursue his passion by attending Mountview’s BA Acting course in 2023.
He graduated from Mountview in 2023, shortly after which he toured through Italy as Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Since then he appeared in several short films, most recently as the lead in Rewind for the London Film School.
As a producer he is currently working on Talking People at the Bush Threatre, and previously produced several long-form non-comedic improv shows at pub theatre The Golden Goose, all of which were a commercial success.
Actor and writer Kiell Smith-Bynoe is best known for his role as Mike – Alison’s non-spirit-seeing husband – in the BAFTA-nominated sitcom Ghosts (BBC). And for playing no-nonsense estate agent Dean in BAFTA-winning comedy Stath Lets Flats (Ch4).
His further acting credits include drama Death in Paradise (BBC) and the comedies Dreamland (Sky), A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou (Netflix), Man Like Mobeen (BBC), The Curse and The Horne Section (Ch4).
At last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, he co-wrote and co-starred in the musical comedy String V SPITTA and had his own late-night improv show Kool Story Bro which has since gone on to sell out multiple London runs.
A contestant in last year’s 15th series of Taskmaster, he also co-hosted the prestigious British Independent Film Awards last December. After competing in the 2021 Christmas special of The Great British Sewing Bee, he steps in for Sara Pascoe as the new host for Series 10.
Milly Zero is an actor from South London. She is best known for playing Dotty Cotton in BBC soap opera Eastenders, from 2019-2023. She also played Hannah in CBBC’s All At Sea for several series as a teenager. Milly trained at The BRIT School for Performing Arts in Croydon, and also with NYT and Open Door. She most recently filmed on Netflix’s new comedy Too Much and in 2023 was also cast as Hermia in The Stafford Gatehouse’s Midsummer Nights Dream. She has also performed at The Arcola, Brixton House, Theatre Peckham and Theatre Royal Stratford East. Recently Milly played the lead role of Kitty in BFI Funded film Better, which premiered at the London Film Festival 2023. She also is the founder of Here For The Drama Academy, a children’s drama school, running several branches across London.
Screen credits include Boarders (BBC), Rules of the Game (BBC) and feature films The Cut (dir. Sean Ellis) and Gassed Up for Amazon (dir. George Amponsah).
Stage credits include For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy (Garrick Theatre), I Love Acting, But F**k This Industry (Theatre Peckham), Much Ado About Nothing (RSC), Barbershop Chronicles (UK, US & Canada Tour), One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Sheffield Crucible) and The Long Song (Chichester Festival Theatre).
Precious Mustapha is a Hackney born actor best known for her leading role as Aisha in Netflix’s popular YA series Fate: The Winx Saga. A graduate of East 15 Acting School, Precious has quickly made a notable impact in the industry. In 2023, she gained wider recognition for her role in the third season of the Emmy Award-winning series Ted Lasso. Currently, she is set to return to TV in the highly anticipated second series of BBC Three’s Cheaters.
Alongside her acting career, Precious is also a writer and is currently developing her debut feature film, The Collectors, which she wrote.
Reda Elazouar is an actor, writer and voice-over artist based in London. He is best known for playing Beau in Season 4 of Netflix’s hit show, Sex Education. He is currently filming Maigret, a crime show for PBS Masterpiece based on Georges Simenon’s best selling novels.
On the film side, Reda played the lead role of Kidda in Reggie Yates’ directorial debut, Pirates, which premiered at SXSW’22 and earned him a spot on BIFA’s Best Newcomer Longlist.
His previous credits include critically acclaimed Channel 4 series Baghdad Central, BBC’s Eastenders and The Little Drummer Girl directed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden).
