Miss Ida: Tek charge of yuh health

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Fri 25 Oct 2024 - Fri 08 Nov 2024

Miss Ida: ‘Tek charge of yuh health’

A new show based on stories from older people within Caribbean and African communities kicks off its autumn tour during October’s Black History Month.

Miss Ida – ‘Tek charge of yuh health’, created by Women & Theatre in partnership with the William Wilson Turner Foundation, follows a series of workshops and discussions with local people across the region.

Written by Women & Theatre artistic director Adaya Henry, it tells the story of retired nurse Miss Ida, who has spent her lifetime passionately advocating for overall health and well-being. As she enters her autumn years, she’s deeply concerned about the healthcare disparities amongst elders particularly those in the African and Caribbean communities.

Performed by Tonia Daley Campbell in a mix of Patois dialect and English, the one-woman show blends observation with humour and aims to celebrate culture and provide health information about preventative care, diet and physical activity.



Founded in 1983, Women & Theatre is an award-winning Birmingham-based theatre company and charity which creates productions addressing contemporary and social issues across the arts, health, education and community sectors.

Adaya, who took over the helm of Women and Theatre last October, said: “It is fantastic to see Miss Ida launch as part of Black History Month. Over my first 12 months with Women & Theatre we’ve delivered a range of engaging, meaningful and joyful projects. However Miss Ida is the first I’ve led from project inception through to performance in my role as artistic director and I look forward to seeing the show make a real difference to communities across Birmingham and the Black Country.”

The William Wilson Turner Foundation was established in memory of Dr William Wilson Turner, MB BCh who dedicated his life to improving the lives of people impacted by sickness and chronic disease. The foundation supports initiatives that promote and advance public health in the West Midlands and his homeland of Ghana.

Foundation CEO Joan Blaney CBE said: “It has been so interesting and illuminating to speak to elders in African and Caribbean communities about their lived experiences in terms of health and wellbeing, identifying the cultural barriers to accessing advice and guidance. Working with Women & Theatre, based on these experiences, we have hopefully created a show that is both a resource and educational as well as entertaining.”

Miss Ida – ‘Tek charge of yuh health’ is presented by Women & Theatre, the William Wilson Turner Foundation and Wolverhampton Age UK. The project is funded by HM Government’s and West Midlands Combined Authority’s Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund, Heart of England Community Foundation Inclusive funds and United by 2022.

The show premieres as part of Black History Month at the Heritage Centre in Wolverhampton on Friday 25 October before moving on to The Legacy Centre in Birmingham on 7 November with two performances on 8 November, one at Brasshouse in Smethwick and one at Shiloh Church in West Bromwich.

Tickets are free and can be booked here

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