Talawa Theatre Company and RADA are proud to present the inaugural Mona Hammond Annual Lecture Series, a new annual event that asks a simple but urgent question:
What must theatre become now and in the future?
We are honoured to launch the series with David Harewood OBE, internationally acclaimed actor, President of RADA and one of the theatre industry’s most influential voices. Drawing on his experiences as both an artist and cultural leader, David will explore the central role of wellbeing in the success of artists, while reflecting on the conditions that allow creativity, belonging and excellence to flourish.
The lecture will be followed by a Q&A chaired by Amanda Parker. Amanda is an award-winning arts consultant and columnist for The Stage. Her career spans broadcast, education and the arts; as CEO of Inc Arts UK, Parker led equity, diversity & inclusion campaigns across the UK’s creative and cultural sector. She’s a trustee of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Intermission Youth Theatre.
The lecture series celebrates the life and legacy of Mona Hammond OBE (1931–2022), the acclaimed actor, RADA graduate and co-founder of Talawa Theatre Company. Throughout her groundbreaking career, Mona not only transformed British theatre through her work on stage and screen, but also helped create opportunities for others, widening representation and opening doors for future generations of artists.
Inspired by Mona’s enduring impact, the series will invite a leading artist each year to reflect on the role of theatre in shaping society, the responsibilities of our cultural institutions, and the future we are asking the next generation of artists to create.
Through personal experience, artistic insight and critical reflection, the Mona Hammond Annual Lecture Series will explore the challenges, responsibilities and possibilities of making theatre today. It is a space for bold ideas, honest conversation and collective imagination, encouraging both individuals and institutions to envision a more courageous, inclusive and ambitious future for our art form.
Hosted at RADA and presented in partnership with Talawa Theatre Company, the lecture series is intended not only as a public event, but as an opportunity for students, artists, audiences and cultural leaders to come together and consider the future of theatre and the role we all play in shaping it.
Sep 2026
Book Now
(opens in a new tab)Location: Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre
Date: Wednesday 2 September 2026, 5:30pm
HOW TO FIND US
Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Malet Street
WC1E 7JN
+44 (0)20 7908 4800
By tube
Goodge Street Station: Northern Line 2 minute walk
Euston Square: Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan, Circle Lines
Tottenham Court Road: Central and Northern Lines
Russell Square: Piccadilly Line
By train
You can easily reach us by public transport links from London’s major railway stations. The most accessible include Euston, King’s Cross / St. Pancras and Waterloo
