Description
Written and directed by dkfash (previously part of Housemates Festival 2023)
★★★★★
‘bold, challenging, and above all, truly embraced’
All That Dazzles
★★★★★
‘leaves the audience laughing, cheering, screaming in delight, and maybe tearing up just a little bit’
A Young(ish) Perspective
★★★★★
‘This is a love letter to the naughties, South London, and Black-British culture’
Jacob Antigha for Medium
★★★★★
‘an essential show for our time’
The Upcoming
Tamagotchi’s, Pokemon and alien babies.
“a time where laughter was free and nonsense was all we knew”
It’s when you couldn’t be on the phone and the internet at the same time
It’s where you learned insults were a love language
It’s when spittin battles at lunchtime could get you happy-slapped
Tolu and the “Back Of the Bus Queens” relive and rediscover their love of home, in this joyous and whacky adventure down memory lane. Surreal memories, short stories, and nonsense!
Theatre. Dance. Lyricism & school daze nostalgia!
Trailer
Press Night Reviews
Meet the Back of the Bus Queens
Production Photos
Photo © Ali Wright
Creative Team
Director & Movement dkfash
Written by dkfash
Set & Costume Designer Roisin Jenner
Costume Assistant Anne Maria Nystad
Sound Designer Xana
Original Sound Designer Melo Zed
Lighting Designer Jahmiko Marshall
Assistant Director Tamara Josephine
Rehearsal Stage Manager Tamasin Cook
Stage Manager Chloe Astleford
Slang Song Sir Loui
Scenic Painter Jaida Salmon
Set Illustration Wofai
Set Fabricator Rusty Nutt Metalworks
Executive Producer for Initiative.dkf Wofai
Dance Captain Rachael Ridley
Cast
Adeola Yemitan as Debz
Adeola’s theatre credits include Is Dat U Yh? at Brixton House, Much Ado About Nothing (RSC), The Caucasian Chalk Theatre (The Rose Theatre), the role of Antigone in Antigone (Mercury Theatre, Colchester), Ordinary Miracle, Animal Farm and Othello (National Youth Theatre).
Antonia Layiwola as Tolu
Antonia is a British actress from South London who trained at De Montfort University. Her theatre credits include The Pursuit of Joy (Jermyn Street Theatre); Is Dat U Yh? (Brixton House and GDIF); the role of Omolade in Silkworm (Edinburgh Fringe); Protests, Hymns and Caskets (Belgrade Theatre); Fragments of a Complicated Mind (Theatre 503); Love Thy Fro (Theatre Peckham); Teleportation (Bunker Theatre) and Ilé La Wà (UK Tour).
Screen includes the role of Dolapo in upcoming feature Dreamers and short film Bone (both directed by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor) and Date Prep (dir. Ashley Panton).
Rachael Ridley as Reena
Rachael Ridley’s first encounter with performance was at 4 years old, during her first ballet lesson in a small church hall. Her passion grew and she’s avidly continued dancing, singing and acting since. She’s worked with Afrobeats phenome Rema (BRITS 2024); Wayne McGregor (RESET Programme); songstress Amia Brave; FairWeather Productions; Manchester Met U; starred as principal dancer in several ballet short films and was Dance & Movement Director on Reaching Higher.
Zakiyyah Deen as Tia
Zakiyyah is an actor and writer born and bred in London. She worked with academy award winning director Steve McQueen on his anthology series Small Axe and also played a series regular role in BBC Three Series Enterprice created by Kayode Ewumi. Zakiyyah will soon be seen in the lead role in the Netflix-funded short The Journey of Self, a short that unpacks the “seasons of therapy.” On the writing side, Zakiyyah was Theatre Deli’s Classic Residency Artist in 2022 and Tara Theatre’s Constellations Artist in 2023. She is currently early stages of development with her debut full length play, Why a Black Woman Will Never Be Prime Minister.