Blog: On the importance of Black theatre
In the 90s, I remember seeing the Posse and the Bibi Crew at Theatre Royal Stratford East, and being amazed at all that creativity on stage and that all these i...
Naomi Cortes
Naomi Cortes
Naomi is an experienced theatre maker with a degree in Drama from the University of Bristol. Her first play, The Littlest Quirky, a story of magic and self-discovery for young children, was commissioned by Theatre Centre and was shortlisted for the Brian Way Award for Best New Play in 2013. Inspired by the true story of Saartjie Baartman, Naomi then went on to write The Life and Death of Saartjie Baartman – Hottentot Venus, and whilst developing this script with a group of actors realised that modern-day characters and settings would provide the perfect backdrop for the play’s strong and sometimes uncomfortable themes. Not Bound Within, a battle-cry response to the exploitation of women past and present, exploring the legacy of Saartjie Baartman, is the outcome of this work. Naomi is also developing ideas for a new play Elixir of Invisibility, No Thank You! Examining society’s misconceptions about Black women as they begin to age and what happens when they decide to go rogue and behave badly.