A woman holding her arms up, standing in front of orange and green spotlights
Credit: Harry Elletson
Theatre

The Legends Of Them

By Sutara Gayle aka Lorna Gee
2 performances between Fri 28 & Sat 29 Nov 2025, various times
Loading performances

A Hackney Showroom production in association with Royal Court Theatre & Brixton House

A piece of theatre that transcends traditional theatrical boundaries to explore the delicate interplay between personal liberation and collective memory

People of theatre

 

“For the first time in my life, everything was silent”

A memory: reggae pioneer Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee hears her radio debut from Holloway Prison. Another: she’s engulfed in the Brixton uprising sparked by the police shooting of her sister. And now she is here, at a silent retreat, seeking spiritual guidance from her brother Mooji and ancestor Nanny of the Maroons, and a moment of transcendence.

Powered by high-octane musical numbers and a virtuoso performance, The Legends of Them is a breath-taking, roof-raising chronicle of Sutara’s singular, extraordinary life – and of the legends that have guided her.

★★★★★ “Absorbing and visceral” The Stage
★★★★★ “A tour de force” Afridiziak
★★★★ “Pummelling and powerful” Time Out
★★★★ “A singular, hypnotic show” Financial Times
★★★★ “Nothing short of awe-inspiring” WhatsOnStage
★★★★ “A show that plays to your heart” The Times

Supported by Arts Council England

PLUS FREE LATE GIG on Fri 28 Nov

A roll-call of female reggae artists perform live with Lorna Gee. Free with a ticket to the evening’s performance.

Jo Caesar wearing a white dress with a large rimmed hat

Jo Caesar

Jo Caesar is a multifaceted creative from East London. A singer-songwriter, content creator, actor, and designer. Her artistry bridges soul, reggae, and contemporary sounds, reflecting both her roots and her range. Jo has had the privilege of collaborating with notable artists and musicians throughout her career. Her debut single was produced by Jazzie B, founder of the legendary Soul II Soul, with backing vocals by the group’s iconic lead vocalist Caron Wheeler. Her first official release, “Coming on Strong,” a self-penned reggae track, marked the start of her dynamic journey in music and established her as a rising voice in the genre.

Although now retired from full-time music, Jo still performs occasionally, sharing her timeless voice and creative spirit with audiences who continue to celebrate her work.

Khadijatou Doyneh wearing a black berret and studded choker

Khadijatou Doyneh

Khadijatou Doyneh is a consummate artist: an international spoken-word poet, singer-songwriter, and multi-disciplinary musician. She celebrates 30 years of international work with the Ngoma Project (choreographer/dancer), as Artistic Director and Founder of Step Afrika! UK, and as Co-Founder of the SA! International Cultural Festival, developed with the USA and South Africa’s Soweto Dance Theatre (1995–2025).

Khadijatou’s work as a singer-songwriter includes the album Sex, Lies & History. She performs her original songs solo (voice and djembe) and in collaboration, earning invitations to international festivals across four continents. Her specialist areas include women’s empowerment, indigenous empowerment and environmental influences, Black history and her-story, and the essential use of the heartbeat (the drum) as a grounding for celebrating transformation and thriving beyond historical injustices.

She is also a Certified Holistic Therapist, in the metaphysical Soundbath Movement Healing Wellbeing space.

Lya (Blk diamond) wearing a pink mesh top and large hoop earings in front of a grey backdrop

Lya (Blk diamond)

Lya (Blk diamond) is a dancer, choreographer, and trainee psychotherapist, as well as the founder of Dance Like Everyone Is Watching. Her work flows between the studio, stage, and sea front Brighton , rooted in rhythm, emotion, and connection. A dance of energy that bridges her African heritage with the spaces and people around her. Known for her powerful and intuitive performances along the seafront, she reclaims public spaces into moments of joy, reflection, and freedom. Alongside her creative work, she teaches at South East Dance, where she shares movement as a form of healing and embodied expression. Through her dance and therapeutic journey, she invites others to listen deeply to their bodies, to feel, and to reconnect with their own inner rhythm.

Instagram: @Blkdiamondance 

Credits

Sutara Gayle - Writer & Performer
Jo McInnes - Director & Co-Creator
Nina Lyndon - Dramaturg & Co-Creator
Christella Litras - Composer & Musical Director
Elena Peña - Sound Content (2025 Edinburgh production & tour) 
Joshie Harriette - Lighting Designer
Daniel Batters - Video Designe
Melissa Simon-Hartman - Costume Designer
Martina Laird - Associate Director
Sam Curtis Lindsay - Associate Director
Toby Smith (The Production Family) - Production Manager
Sunita Hinduja - Company Stage Manager
Stuart Duncan - Technical Stage Manager 
Sarah Victoria - Sound System Designer & Sound Associate (2025 Edinburgh production & tour) - Based on the original Sound Design for the 2024 Royal Court production by Elena Peña
Zoé Ritchie - Lighting Associate & Relighter

Artwork photography by Jyoti Graziano

With thanks to Stuart Heyes, Gino Ricardo Green, Tony Gayle & Tyler Forward
Supported by Arts Council England
Developed with support from the National Theatre Generate Programme