Monolithic Theatre Four Short Plays

7:00pm Doors Open
7:30pm Act One – B.R.I.B.E
7:50pm Act Two – A Drawer of Voices
8:05pm Interval
8:20pm Act Three – Manchester Girl
8:50pm Act Four – Dulce De Lucha

General Admission £20 | Complimentary for Patrons, limited availability

Four writers transform powerful images into living stories on stage. Through words, music, and movement, Monolithic Theatre blurs the line between visual art and performance.

BRIBE 
A mother, detained and discarded by the state, delivers a blistering monologue to her estranged son. As she recounts her failed attempt to secure reparations through the Bureau for Reparative Initiatives and Belonging Engagement (B.R.I.B.E), she wrestles with her own complicity, loss, and resistance. What begins as a plea becomes a reckoning—part testimony, part revolution, part love letter forged in fire. 
Writer: Gemma Weekes Director: Lisa Walters Player: Oyinkansola Yusuff Inspired by: Nikki Giovanni (poet) 

A Drawer of Voices
A young man wrestles between the desire to be cool and the desire to truly connect with somebody, coming to a head when he runs into a girl from his past. The piece examines how code-switching affects our relationship with other people and ourselves and how love liberates us to be honest. 
Writer: Isaiah Weekes Director: Dumas Haddad Player: Melchizedek Oketch Inspired by: The Spirit Behind the Lens by Eddie Otchere 

Manchester Girl
On the eve of a life-changing conversation with his daughter, a widowed father recalls the night he met her mother at a 1990 Public Enemy gig and the love story that followed—a story of youth, resistance, sacrifice, and enduring devotion in the face of family, class, and illness. 
Writer: Karla Marie Sweet Director: Jake Nava Player: Steven Odubola Inspired by: Man with the Golden Shutter by Normski 

Dulce De Lucha
Set in a kitschy matcha cart in West London, the play follows a middle-aged barista who imagines he once lived a vivid, imagined life as a famous Mexican wrestler. As he serves customers, he slips between the present, the past, wrestling with memory, identity, masculinity, and the slow erosion of purpose. Exploring the absurdity of performative service work and the longing to be seen beyond function, it’s about invisibility in plain sight, the metaphorical fights of everyday life and the beauty of surrender.
Writer: Salma Ibrahim Director: Matthias Lebeer Player: Harrison Daniels Inspired by: SLAM Lucha Libre Superheroes of the Ring by Katinka Herbert

CONTRIBUTORS

Salma Ibrahim
British-Somali author of novel Salutation Road, Salma’s narratives delve into themes of identity and belonging @salma.s.ibrahim

Matthias Lebeer
An award-winning director, Matthias has been recognized with two Gold Cannes Lions and an Oscar shortlist for his compelling storytelling in film and commercials @matthiaslebeer

Gemma Weekes
A multidisciplinary artist, Gemma’s work spans novels, poetry, and screenwriting, known for her unique voice and exploration of modern love @gemmaweekes

Dumas Haddad
An award-winning director and writer, Dumas’s work is rooted in fashion, music, and culture @dumashaddad

Jake Nava
Acclaimed director, Jake Nava director of Beyonce’s Single Ladies music video and has worked with other top artists, brings a cinematic flair to music videos and commercials @jakenava

Karla Marie Sweet
Actor, screenwriter and performer, Karla’s contributions to theatre and television highlight her dynamic storytelling abilities @karlamsweet

Normski
A pioneer in documenting the UK’s urban culture, Normski’s photography and media presence have captured the essence of a generation @mistanormski

Nikki Giovanni
A world-renowned poet and one of the foremost authors of the Black Arts Movement, Nikki was an American poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator.

Eddie Otchere
A British-Ghanaian photographer, Eddie is celebrated for his portraits of seminal rappers and DJs, chronicling Black British culture over three decades @eddie_otchere

Katinka Herbert
Renowned for her exploration of identity and performance, Katinka’s photography delves into the construction of self, capturing subjects who visibly manufacture their own personas @katinka.inc