love letter to South London: Tia-Renee Mullings’s A to B comes to Soho Theatre

Sheyi Cole and Zakiyyah Deen on blind dates, South London and Black British love stories

Black British love stories on stage in the heart of Soho are rarer than they should be.

Tia-Renee Mullings‘s debut play A to B, produced by the double Olivier-nominated Jasmyn Fisher-Ryner of JFR Productions, is trying to change that. A coming-of-age romcom set against a Caribbean South London soundtrack, it follows Amani and Brianna attempting to get to a blind date while everything conspires against them. It is already very nearly sold out. Red Bus Londinium spoke to stars Sheyi Cole and Zakiyyah Deen about South London, blind dates and what it means to put a Black British love story centre stage.

Red Bus: A to B is described as a love letter to South London and to British-Jamaican life. What does it mean to you personally to tell this particular story, and what do you hope audiences recognise in it?

Sheyi Cole: South London is my home, it is my DNA. It’s an honour to shed a positive light on my home town, and to co lead it is not only a responsibility but a dream. I hope audience’s get to feel all the textures that South London and British Jamaican life have to offer; through music, dance and great performances, I have no doubt audiences will leave not only happy but hopeful.

Zakiyyah Deen: As a born and bred Londoner of Afro-Caribbean heritage, this means a lot to me. I had heard great things from a good friend about the Edinburgh reading of A to B, so when my agent sent through the audition I was proper excited to get stuck in. I hope audiences have a laugh, see themselves or people they know in the characters and story. And recognise how sick Tia-Renee is at telling this nuanced yet relatable poetic representation of the seeds of black love.

Red Bus: The Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity found that institutional barriers for performers of colour in British entertainment remain very real, in casting, in the stories being told, and in who gets to tell them. What does it mean to you to be at the heart of a Black British love story, not about struggle, but about joy, connection and the beautiful absurdity of getting from A to B?

Sheyi Cole: In short… it is an honour, the team could have picked any one to have played Amani. But they chose me. I just hope I can do everyone proud. This is Tia Renee’s debut play, this is part of history not only for her, but the black British arts scene in general. A black British love story… being put on in the middle of Soho. Wow. Historically it’s taken the likes of Sir Lenny Henry to help knock down walls for us to get to this point, so thank you to him and all that have come before. Without them there is no me.

Zakiyyah Deen: A blessing for sure. Whilst our show is very much a joyous one, our characters also go through reflections of self, situations and familial relationships, which means that amongst the fun and chaos there is absolutely some heart. Like all love stories, it is not just about what meets the surface. Their journey to meeting each other is beautifully imperfect.

Red Bus: The play is a romcom set to a Caribbean soundtrack where nothing goes to plan. How do you find the comedy in the chaos, and does the music change how you move through the world of the play?

Sheyi Cole: It’s always funny to see people fail especially when they try so hard to succeed… It’s a weird trait we have as people. But with the help of our amazing director Ewa Dina and brilliant writer Tia Reene, they fine tune the chaos, we don’t just want to laugh at the characters but laugh WITH the characters – it’s a joyous piece of work coated with all sorts of textures. Music allows us all to feel emotions in a far more heightened manner the story and music come together as one, us as actors are just vessel to help bring the story to life.

Zakiyyah Deen: As a proud Black British Jamaican-Sierra Leonean, music infuses my very being. The way I move, feel and think will no doubt influence how I shape Brianna and move through the world of the play. I feel like we have a very similar taste in music, so apologies in advance if I get a likkle carried away during a transition. Or two.

Red Bus: A two-hander is one of the most exposed formats in theatre, nowhere to hide. What has the rehearsal room revealed about Amani and Brianna that genuinely surprised you?

Sheyi Cole: Yes it is exposing, but we are trained for moments like this. It’s why we rehearse, we just hope we can do the story justice. What is surprising? Hmm, I guess how similar Amani is to me. It’s almost as if Tia wrote it with me in mind!

Zakiyyah Deen: I’ve done a two-hander before, so it’s a style of working I’m familiar with. That being said, it’s still scary. Good scary. Exciting even. I hope to learn how Brianna’s brain works and I’m really excited to see how that mirrors or juxtaposes Amani’s way of being. Like the two characters, myself and Sheyi will have to be in constant conversation whilst owning our own worlds and I’m looking forward to that challenge.

Red Bus: The play explores what it means to be truly seen in a world of curated identities. What do you hope a young Black audience member feels walking out of the theatre?

Sheyi Cole: I just hope it encourages more people to go to the theatre. New stories are being created everyday, but not everyone gets the chance to showcase it on a commercial stage – especially black stories. For some, it will be the first time they’ve seen blackness in its unapologetic true form in the theatre. So tell a friend to tell a friend and let’s get more shows on like this!

Zakiyyah Deen: I would love for them to feel a connection to the story and characters for sure, whatever resonates with them most. But on a more meta level, I would love for them to see what beauty can be created when creatives of the diaspora come together, get to tell their stories and make art.

A to B runs at Soho Theatre Upstairs until 3 July 2026. Written by Tia-Renee Mullings, directed by Ewa Dina and produced by Jasmyn Fisher-Ryner for JFR Productions in association with Soho Theatre and HighTide. Tickets from £14: https://sohotheatre.com/events/a-to-b

Image credit: Nathan Philips

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