For Black Boys Ensemble Win Stage Debut Award

18 September 2022

In a historic first, the entire cast won The Stage Debut Best Performer 2022.

The six-strong company together picked up this prestigious prize for breakthrough talent, recognising their work on For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy first at New Diorama and then the Royal Court Theatre.

This marks the first time the award has ever been presented collectively to a group of performers, which includes Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh and Kaine Lawrence.

Ryan Calais-Cameron's play had its premiere at New Diorama in autumn 2021, an original NDT commission produced by theatre company Nouveau Riche, before transferring to the Royal Court Theatre Downstairis in spring 2022 with the same cast, where it extended and sold out its run.

Speaking at the awards, actor Emmanuel Akwafo said: 'We are just grateful to make history today, not just to make history as a category but as six black men doing what they need to do and using their voice.'

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