Show menu

Essex on Stage: Princess Essex

By Anne Odeke
Supported by Queen's Theatre Hornchurch and Matthew Schmolle Productions
Essex on Stage: Princess Essex

Southend-on-Sea, Essex. 1908.Tired of her life, Joanna decides to take matters into her own hands and enter herself into one of the country’s most prestigious beauty pageants, disguised as a Senegalese Princess. Based on the little-known, true story of Princess Dinubolu, Princess Essex is the funny and dynamic tale of the first black woman to ever enter a beauty pageant in the UK.

Princess Essex is written and performed by Anne Odeke (RSC, Shakespeare’s Globe, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch).

The piece has been created with public funding from Arts Council England, and with much thanks to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, The Mercury Theatre Colchester, Creative Estuary and the South Essex African & Caribbean Association (SEACA).

This is a past event

@bushtheatre

Bush Green

Conversations, dispatches and ideas from the Bush Theatre.

Go to BushGreen
Charles Holloway OBE: From West London to the West End
Thu 31 Oct 2024

Benedict Lombe’s play Shifters transferring from the Bush Theatre to the West End was a milestone moment: for the artists involved, the audiences they engaged, and the future of British theatre it will inspire. It offers a glimpse of what commercial theatre in this country could be. And as Bush audience members and supporters know,…

Shifting the Narrative: Radical Love Commissions
Wed 28 Aug 2024

A new initiative, inviting eight Global Majority artists to write short-form responses to the West End production of Benedict Lombe’s hit play Shifters, which is at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, until 12 October.  We’re delighted to be launching this new opportunity, alongside ATG Entertainment West End Creative Learning and the Producers of Shifters.…

Call out: tell us what you thought of Shifters
Wed 03 Jul 2024

Did you see Shifters at the Bush? We need you! To celebrate the West End transfer of Benedict Lombe’s hit play, we’re asking audiences to help us spread the word. We’d love you to send in a short video of your thoughts, experiences and takeaway’s from the world premiere run at the Bush Theatre earlier…