The 1980s were a time of political upheaval and deep changes to the way the state engaged with British society, but for black theatre, perhaps paradoxically, it was a time of a great explosion of talent and opportunity. As Brixton and Toxteth burned, a host of new and brilliant young theatre groups burst into life, some benefiting from the final largesse of the dying Greater London Council, wound up by act of Parliament in 1986. Thus Talawa was born with an £80,000 GLC grant to stage its first, landmark production which required a cast of 23 - but there were many others too.

On television, Channel 4 brought new specialist magazine programming for black viewers, quickly emulated by the BBC, and series like Empire Road found ready and growing popularity, while the films of Isaac Julien addressed issues of race and sexuality for both niche and mainstream audiences. By the 1990s and early 2000s, new black writing talent like Roy Williams and Winsome Pinnock were reflecting sharp social divisions, and the problems faced by black youth in Britain's inner cities. This, too, was the world that young British-Nigerian writer Bola Agbaje grew up in, and powerfully wrote about in her groundbreaking new plays.

Consultant: Dr Michael Pearce
Producer: Simon Elmes. Show less