Talawa Theatre Company’s flagship programme for emerging theatre makers, TYPT, returns this summer offering young participants the opportunity to gain invaluable experience and professional support at a pivotal stage in their careers. Guided by director TD. Moyo, a collective of talented Black artists aged 18–25 will collaborate with leading industry professionals to devise an original production in just four weeks. TD. Moyo brings a unique brand of storytelling to this year’s production, as TYPT25 creatives develop work homing in on love stories, with reference to Moyo’s theme I’ll Burn The Ocean/For You.
Moyo is an acclaimed director, writer and acting coach whose work spans across theatre, opera and film; she has directed and collaborated with world-renowned venues including the National Theatre, Young Vic, Royal Opera House, Barbican, and international stages. Her portfolio is a testament to her range and ingenuity, from the visceral intensity of No More Mr Nice Guy (Catford Broadway, HOME, Birmingham Rep, Bristol Old Vic) to the operatic reimagining of Karmen(Opera Holland Park) and the wholesome storytelling of Tribe (Young Vic). Joining Talawa as the guiding force for TYPT25, TD. Moyo will work collaboratively with this year’s cohort of emerging Black artists through an intensive creation process and help shape the final production.
Moyo comments, I’ll Burn The Ocean/For You is a cosmic collection of love stories, told through a Black-British lens. This new work invites audiences into a world where love is boundless, ancestral, and defiantly present. The TYPT25 cohort will source, create, write and share love stories that may or may not have happened, taking inspiration from actual events that shaped our history and sometimes unearthing dreams married with reality of what love stories feel like in all their joy, complexity and sometimes tragedy for those who identify as Black and British.
Working alongside TD. Moyo will be assistant director Frances Calliste (as associate artist: BH365: Songlines for Greenwich, Inspiral London), dramaturg Robert Awosusi (Positive, Southwark Playhouse; My Brother’s Keeper, Theatre 503), and award-winning Tife Kusoro (winner of George Devine Award for G,Royal Court) as a contributing writer. Mateus Daniel (Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Phoenix Theatre; Vardy v Rooney The Wagatha Christie Trial,Ambassador Theatre), joins the programme as movement director, alongside voice coach Gurkiran Kaur (A Tupperware of Ashes,National Theatre; Peanut Butter & Blueberries,Kiln Theatre), lighting designer Sally Ferguson (Dealer’s Choice,Donmar Warehouse; What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Marylebone Theatre), sound designer Mwen (Sonder(s), Roundabout) and set and costume designer Amanda Mascarenhas (Elmer The Adventure, Tall Stories; Revealed, Belgrade Theatre).
Set up in 1995, TYPT is a free programme that provides a unique stepping stone for emerging Black theatre makers, from actors and stage managers to designers, technicians and directors in the early stages of their careers. Past TYPT participants have gone on to successful careers at acclaimed organisations, with alumni including Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum, E4; Black Panther 2, Disney), Nonso Anozie (Game of Thrones, HBO; Cinderella, Disney) and Femi Oguns MBE (Director, The Identity Drama School).
Main Image: Courtesy of TYPT25
This post was last modified on July 20, 2025 5:02 pm