Press Contact: Natalie Thomas
June 2026
A Theatre Royal Plymouth production
In association with Bristol Old Vic
A new play by Malaika Kegode
Originally commissioned by Theatre Royal Plymouth
Will have world premiere at the Traverse Festival 2026
Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) today announces the cast for its new production Badgers, which will have its world premiere at the Traverse Festival during this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Written and developed by South West artist Malaika Kegode, in association with Bristol Old Vic, Badgers brings together an exciting ensemble of performers for this brand‑new folk play blending spoken word and live music.
The cast will be Malaika Kegode as The Storyteller, Beth Roberts and Joe Williams as the Musicians. The production is directed by Jenny Davies.
Further creative team announcements will be revealed in the coming weeks, along with voice over artists, ahead of a preview run at Bristol Old Vic from 30 July – 01 August. The production will then run at the Traverse Theatre from 06 – 30 August as part of the Traverse Festival, before transferring to The Drum at TRP for a limited engagement in the autumn and returning to Bristol Old Vic in September.
Badgers is a hybrid theatre piece written by Malaika Kegode with music by Jakabol – the team behind 2024’s successful reprise of Outlier. The show explores the art of letting go and the ethics of true crime, weaving together myth, memory and music.
Malaika Kegode said: “At its heart, Badgers is a story about why we need stories. It’s about how they frame our lives, teach us to love and give us faith in each other. It is humbling to premiere the show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the world’s largest celebration of stories. Bringing a show so firmly rooted in the South West into that vast mix is exciting, nerve-wracking and magical. It is an honour to work with TRP, Bristol Old Vic and Traverse, alongside our incredibly talented cast and creative team, to welcome everyone into Badgers.”
Tom Jackson Greaves, Associate Artistic Director at TRP, said:
“We’re thrilled to welcome this cast to Badgers as we prepare for its premiere at the Traverse. Bringing together such an exciting group of artists is a key part of developing new work, and we’re excited to see how they will work with Malaika to bring her unique vision to life.”
Badgers continues TRP’s commitment to championing locally made theatre on a national stage, following previous productions at Edinburgh Fringe including Happy Meal (2022) and Breathless (2023).
Tickets for preview performances at Bristol Old Vic are available from www.bristololdvic.org.uk. For Traverse Festival performances, visit www.traverse.co.uk. Tickets for Theatre Royal Plymouth will be on sale soon via theatreroyal.com.
Something has taken root in this town. A recluse, a disappearance, a mysterious folk song. And then there’s you, Meles — a podcaster with a dying mother and a stalling career — about to stumble into something unfathomable. Something that could change everything. But is it your story to tell?
ENDS
Biographies:
Malaika Kegode is an award-winning writer, performer and theatre-maker based in Bristol. Her work challenges common narratives about working-class identity, rural communities and dual heritage experience through stories told across mixed disciplines.
Her debut spoken word gig-theatre show Outlier was produced for Bristol Old Vic’s main stage, earning four-star reviews from the Guardian and The Stage. The Colour of Dinosaurs, her children’s show, toured nationally in 2023/4, culminating at Southbank Centre’s Imagine Festival. Shortlisted for the Imison Award, her radio drama Tribe of Two aired on BBC Radio 4.
Malaika is a recipient of the Kevin Elyot Award, founder of Milk Poetry and was selected for Channel 4’s 4Screenwriting mentorship programme in 2025.
In addition to Badgers, her upcoming work includes her second poetry collection Good as a Rest (Burning Eye Books) and a libretto for English Touring Opera’s Mimi and the Golden Touch.
Beth Roberts is a songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist based in Bristol, UK. Her original music explores post-religious identity, grief, uncertainty, renewal and joy, hinting at ancient folksongs and sacred madrigals. She recently received ACE’s DYCP and PRSF’s Women Make Music grants to produce her forthcoming debut solo album, and supported Ye Vagabonds on tour.
She writes and performs with Hedera, whose debut album was named Guardian Folk Album of the Month; their launch tour included sold-out dates at King’s Place and The Mount Without, with a live session on BBC Radio 3. She co-produced and released several acclaimed albums with psychfolk band Hands of the Heron, and she performs regularly with Tryani Collective. She co-wrote The Awkward Guide to Friendship within a long-running poetry/music collaboration with Beth Calverley (House of Figs). She is co-director of Cuculi Records, and holds the joint role of Musician-in-Residence at University Hospitals Bristol & Weston.
Joe Williams is a composer, actor and musician from the West Country with over 15 years of experience in theatre and live music. Most notably scoring, playing and acting in the critically lauded show, Outlier, with his band Jakabol. The folk-prog four piece released their second record, Leornian, in 2026, a cinematic concept album set on the Somerset levels. Outside of his theatre and band work Joe is deeply embedded in the Bristol music scene, mentoring young artists and lending his songwriting and musicianship to countless projects spanning many genres.