205:"This isn’t the first play I've written, but it's my first produced play. The first play I wrote, I didn't really know it was a play, it was just for me. I would read it over the phone to my friend and when I'd finished he said I had to show it to someone. Talawa Theatre Company found me and Michael Buffong put that play in a Talawa Firsts show, and I got signed by my agent there. A few months later, I was commissioned to work with Clean Break and Talawa. I make no exaggerations when I say Talawa completely took a chance on me. I had no training or experience or credentials, and there was no one to offer a reference. But Michael believed in me. It took me forever though, probably until the opening night of Girls at HighTide, for me to believe him."
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Ikoko has worked on social inclusion and community engagement projects within prisons, including facilitating creative and performing arts workshops with incarcerated persons. She worked with
Islington Integrated Gangs, a London organization that focuses on gang violence in youth communities, from
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Ikoko grew up with her mother and eight siblings in the
Hackney neighbourhood of London. Ikoko has said that the label "poor" was put upon her and that communities that are poorer are misrepresented by the media as "problem areas" which ignores the potential of these areas and the fact that the
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as a Black
British teenage girl living in Hackney, London, whose single mother abandons her and her younger brother Emmanuel, forcing them to try to avoid being taken into social services. The film premiered at the
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in 2016. It was Ikoko's first professionally produced play. The play addresses issues of kidnapping, forced religion, sexism, and arranged marriage as well as themes of friendship and resilience. A review in
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negativity coming from these communities is a societal issue. She says that "poverty isn't all about suffering and darkness", and describes her upbringing as "rich in joy".
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in 2019 and opened in
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Ikoko later gained greater nationwide recognition, in 2019, for co-writing the feature-length coming-of-age drama
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for Bakray, making her one of the youngest nominees for the award. Nineteen-year-old Bukky Bakray also received
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called the play "pungent", "provocative", "scorchingly intelligent and as powerful as a gut punch".
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In 2021, it was announced that Ikoko would scripting a six-part television adaptation of
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in 2016, before being revived for a tour in 2017 which also took in shows at the 2017
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Ikoko was one of five winners of the
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937:"Award-Winning Playwright Theresa Ikoko Talks About Her New Play, Girls"
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Ikoko began her career as a playwright. Her first full-length play was
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is a
British playwright and screenwriter of Nigerian descent. Her play
867:"Theresa Ikoko among winners of Channel 4 Playwrights' Scheme | News"
590:"Alfred Fagon Award for best new play goes to Theresa Ikoko's Girls"
891:"Examining stories behind headlines that become yesterday's news".
649:"The Nigerian-British Writer Putting Black Joy on Stage and Screen"
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in 2021, where the film was nominated for seven awards including
1117:"Channel 4 Announces Winners of Playwrights' Scheme Bursaries"
618:"Meet award winning and unapologetic playwright Theresa Ikoko"
259:. Speaking about her motivation for writing, Ikoko has said:
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Outstanding Debut by a
British Writer, Director or Producer
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Ikoko earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from
1168:"2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Nominations"
669:"Ex OLCHS Student Theatre Debut Receives Rave Reviews"
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With Claire Wilson, Ikoko co-wrote the screenplay for
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1234:Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London
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616:Lacey-Davidson, Mattie (26 September 2016).
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622:East London and West Essex Guardian Series
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109:with Clarie Wilson, which earned Ikoko a
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324:Toronto International Film Festival
1239:Alumni of the University of Oxford
1229:21st-century British screenwriters
961:Marlowe, Sam (13 September 2016).
935:Clacken, Eysis (19 October 2016).
588:Snow, Georgia (27 November 2015).
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909:Crockett, Moya (5 October 2016).
839:Snow, Georgia (25 October 2016).
756:Wiseman, Eva (23 October 2016).
336:74th British Academy Film Awards
119:74th British Academy Film Awards
1045:Ide, Wendy (5 September 2019).
785:Lola, Theresa (26 March 2018).
673:Our Lady's Catholic High School
455:British Independent Film Awards
1143:"Winners and Nominations 2020"
344:Best Actress in a Leading Role
303:, Expansion into screenwriting
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460:Best British Independent Film
440:Channel 4 Playwrights Scheme
223:Birmingham Repertory Theatre
1249:Black British women writers
498:British Academy Film Awards
201:. At the time, Ikoko said:
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429:Most Promising Playwright
185:went on to be produced by
169:2015: Playwrighting career
1047:"'Rocks': Toronto Review"
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503:Best Original Screenplay
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340:Outstanding British Film
332:Best Original Screenplay
125:Early life and education
115:Best Original Screenplay
1012:Ikoko, Theresa (2016).
348:BAFTA Rising Star Award
1071:alfredfagonaward.co.uk
893:Torquay Herald Express
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187:Talawa Theatre Company
1254:Black British writers
1092:"George Devine Award"
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1067:"Best New Play 2015"
895:. 27 September 2017.
812:"Girls in Edinburgh"
426:George Devine Award
221:was produced at the
154:University of Oxford
61:University of Oxford
245:debbie tucker green
215:George Devine Award
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565:Alfred Fagon Award
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143:Eric Jerome Dickey
100:and other awards.
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367:BBC iPlayer
328:BAFTA Award
111:BAFTA Award
45:Nationality
1213:Categories
1096:talawa.com
536:References
529:Nominated
519:Nominated
507:Nominated
489:Nominated
481:Nominated
444:Recipient
359:Grime Kids
35:Playwright
31:Occupation
1172:bafta.org
1147:bifa.film
1032:956481507
997:4 January
992:Yourszene
972:3 January
967:The Times
946:4 January
920:4 January
876:4 January
871:The Stage
850:17 August
845:The Stage
828:. Talawa.
814:. Talawa.
796:4 January
767:4 January
708:4 January
678:4 January
627:4 January
601:4 January
595:The Stage
570:4 January
386:Category
363:BBC Three
355:DJ Target
251:, author
237:The Times
121:in 2021.
53:Education
1177:10 March
1152:10 March
1127:10 March
1101:10 March
1076:10 March
791:FourHubs
915:Stylist
699:"Girls"
392:Result
334:at the
117:at the
48:British
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703:Talawa
383:Award
373:Awards
294:, 2015
288:, 2014
282:, 2014
280:Normal
276:, 2013
225:, the
175:Normal
164:Career
141:, and
73:(play)
1198:Girls
1014:Girls
494:2021
466:Rocks
451:2020
423:2016
412:Girls
400:2015
395:Ref.
389:Work
380:Year
314:Rocks
301:Rocks
292:Girls
268:Plays
219:Girls
211:Girls
183:Girls
179:Girls
106:Rocks
94:Girls
71:Girls
1179:2021
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1129:2021
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1028:OCLC
1018:ISBN
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