New musical BLACK POWER DESK to premiere at Brixton House
Photo credit: Courtney Nathan Phillip
Brixton House and Playwell Productions, in association with Birmingham Hippodrome and Manchester’s Lowry, will present the world premiere of Black Power Desk by critically-acclaimed playwright Urielle Klein-Mekongo from 1-28 September.
This powerful and compelling new musical with an original score and a live band blending RnB, Reggae, Soul and Ska is Brixton House’s largest production to date.
The incredible creative team includes director Gbolahan Obisesan, rapperturg and lyricist Gerel Falconer, Ivor Novello Prize winner and Platinum-selling songwriter Renell Shaw who collaborated on the music and composition, and award-winning dramaturgist Gail Babb and Alfred Fagon Awards 2025 Black Champion of Theatre.
Set in 1970s London, at a time of political unrest and cultural transformation, Black Power Desk, inspired by the real-life events of the Mangrove Nine, shines a lyrical light on a rarely explored part of British history, providing audiences with a stirring portrait of the times alongside an epic and rich soundtrack of resistance.
The streets pulse with the rise of sound system culture and two sisters are caught between family bonds, community struggles, and the covert operations of the Black Power Desk, a secret police unit inside New Scotland Yard.
Black Power Desk sits within Brixton House's Uprising Festival, a season of work commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Brixton Uprising, sparked by the police shooting of Cherry Groce in 1985.
After Brixton House, the show will then tour to major regional theatres including Warwick Arts Centre, Lowry and Birmingham Hippodrome.
Playwright Urielle Klein-Mekongo said: "This musical was borne from a desire to delve deeper and discover the stories from Black British history that have been left untold. My inquisitiveness led me to create a story in the context of the Black British civil rights movement and how the establishment tried to extinguish it. At its heart are two sisters, one who is an activist fighting for humanity and the other who wants to hold on to family and live their humanity without the struggle. Told through the lens of two women with a rich 70s musical soundscape, I hope it will touch many hearts and stirs the soul.“
The creative team also includes set designer Natalie Pryce, costume designer Jessica Cabassa, lighting designer Prema Mehta, sound designer Tony Gayle, and movement director Jade Hackett.
Casting will be announced shortly.
