The first of SPID Theatre's (Social Progressive Interconnected Diverse)Social Change Showstoppers marking its 20th anniversary, Wings, Tings, Callings and Kings by SPID’s Artistic Production Associate Kai Gama, will be performed at Kensal House 4–19 July 2025.
The play follows seven strangers in a boring “work readiness” course where what starts as a waste of time quickly becomes something deeper. As old rivalries, hidden talents, past traumas and big dreams rise to the surface, this unlikely group discover that what they thought was just another system tick-box exercise might lead to a second chance at life.
Kai Gama is the recipient of the Producers’ Placement from Stage One and mentor to The Kingsmen, a collective of young, talented, black men who met at SPID and with whom he collaborated on the script. He said, "Wings, Tings, Callings & Kings is a layered exploration of black masculinity, identity and resilience in contemporary Britain. The piece is set against the backdrop of a government work-readiness programme and delves into themes of trauma, systemic inequality, mental health, intergenerational grief and redemption."
Marking its 20th anniversary, the award-winning charity is celebrating its symbolic win with Join Justice, a campaign fighting for the human right to housing, race, climate and youth justice. In commemorating 20 years of SPID at Kensal, the company also marks the completion of its seven year, £4 million refurbishment.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, Methuen will be publishing the Helena Thompson Anthology in August, a collection of plays by the theatre's Founder and Artistic Director, including The Burning Tower, inspired by residents who experienced Grenfell’s fire and Kensal’s floods.