“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 at the Bush Theatre, 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
Finalist for the Alfred Fagon Award
30 January - 01 MarchFrom £20
5, 12, 19, 26 FebruaryFrom £20
8, 15, 22 February and 1 MarchFrom £20
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babirye is an actor and writer for stage, audio and screen. Their first play, …blackbird hour, was shortlisted for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2019, the inaugural Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020, and the Alfred Fagon Award 2020. The play they wrote as it’s prequel, …cake, was presented at Theatre Peckham and was nominated for the Alfred Fagon Award in 2021.
They co-directed their play The Master’s House with Chris Sonnex for the National Youth Theatre in 2021, which was shortlisted for the George Devine Award 2022, and they developed it into an audio drama for Talawa Stories on BBC Radio 4. In 2022 two of their short plays were presented – YUMMY (Burn It Down festival at Theatre Royal Stratford East) and 616: DAWN (Talking about a Revolution at Watford Palace, Lyric Hammersmith Studio and Bristol Old Vic).
babirye is currently under commission to the Yard Theatre and to the Royal Court Theatre.
malakaï is a multidisciplinary artist, educator and producer from pre-gentrified northeast London. Led by curiosity and care, malakaï works across theatre, festivals, literature, audio and live events– creating and interrogating through an unapologetically Afroqueer lens. Their work is often non-linear, employing unconventional forms that disrupts notions of time and space; orbiting around ideas of Black interiority, hood surrealism and carceral geographies.
malakaï’s directing credits include: The Master’s House (Talawa/BBC Radio 4/BBC Sounds), The Costumed Gallery (UAL/National Gallery), Still Here? (Unicorn Theatre), Yummy (Theatre Royal Stratford East), We Are Here to Make Change (Royal Court), …cake (Theatre Peckham), Do Nitties Live Forever? (Battersea Arts Centre), Over To You (Tamasha/Rich Mix), Void (The S+K Project/Battersea Arts Centre), I Am Not A _____, (Immediate Theatre/Chat’s Palace), Platform Tottenham (The S+K Project/Royal Court Theatre/Bernie Grant Arts Centre).
As associate/assistant director: Hyde and Seek directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu (Guildhall School of Music & Drama), Foxes directed by James Hillier (Defibrillator Theatre/Theatre503), Calm directed by Stella Odunlami (Hackney Empire), Decolonising History directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike (Tamasha/SOAS).
