Douglas Lyons'

Chicken & Biscuits

Writer
Douglas Lyons

Director
Baron Kelly

Location
The Carne Studio Theatre

Dates
Saturday 6 June at 7pm
Wednesday 10 June at 2pm
Thursday 11 June at 7pm
Saturday 13 June at 2pm
Monday 15 June at 7pm

About the show

Can sisters Baneatta and Beverly bury their father without killing each other? In this celebration of Black joy, grief and healing, an extended family is brought back to St. Luke’s Church to inter their patriarch, Bernard Jenkins. Family stressors abound as Beverly shows up to the chapel with her “blessings” on display, Baneatta’s son brings his neurotic Jewish boyfriend along and Beverly’s nosy daughter keeps asking questions no one wants to answer. Meanwhile, Baneatta’s husband Reginald tries to keep the peace, but when a shocking family secret reveals itself at the pulpit, the two sisters are faced with a truth that could either heal or break them.

Professor Baron Kelly is a distinguished actor, educator, and scholar with a career spanning over four decades across the United States, Europe, and Asia. A graduate of the Juilliard School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned his PhD in Theatre Research, Professor Kelly is internationally renowned for his expertise in classical theatre, particularly Shakespearean performance.

His illustrious acting career has seen him perform with some of the world’s most prestigious theatre companies, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of Great Britain, and the Stratford Festival of Canada. Equally at home on stage and screen, his credits extend to acclaimed television and film productions.

Professor Kelly is also a highly respected academic, currently serving as a Professor of Theatre and Drama at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research and teaching interests focus on acting methodologies, cross-cultural performance practices, and the development of classical theatre training in diverse global contexts.

A passionate advocate for arts education, Professor Kelly has dedicated much of his career to fostering emerging talent and expanding access to high-quality theatrical training. He has worked extensively with underrepresented communities to promote inclusivity in the arts and has collaborated with institutions worldwide to build cross-cultural artistic exchange programs. Professor Kelly recently delivered a lecture to LAMDA students during Black History Month where he outlined the contribution of black actors to the stage from the 10th century until the present day.

In 2024, Professor Kelly was announced as LAMDA's inaugural recipient of the Colin Cook International Fellowship. He was also recognised as their inaugural Visiting Professor of Acting and Directing. In January 2025, he was appointed as the Chair of LAMDA's US sister organisation, the American Friends of LAMDA (AFLAMDA). 

Douglas Lyons is a 2X Emmy nominated multi-hyphenate artist. As a writer, he earned a GLAAD nomination for his Broadway playwriting debut, Chicken and Biscuits, which was the 2nd most produced play in America in 2022-23. His most recent play, Table 17, which premiered Off-Broadway at MCC Theater, was deemed a New York Times Critics’ Pick and won two 2024 Audelco Awards for Best Playwright and Outstanding Ensemble.

Douglas served as a writer on both seasons of Apple TV's Fraggle Rock. His Broadway acting credits include The Book of Mormon, plus the original cast of Beautiful and the Tony Award winning Broadway revival of Parade. Tour credits include Rent, Dreamgirls and The Book of Mormon.

As a composer-lyricist, his music and lyrics have been featured on Nickelodeon, BET Plus, Apple TV, CBS's Sunday Morning Show, Audible and more. His other written stage works include Don't Touch My Hair (IAMA Theatre Company), Polkadots (Off Broadway Alliance Winner Best Family Show, Atlantic Theater Company), Beau (Adirondack Theatre Festival), the world premiere of Five Points (Theater Latté Da) and more.

He is currently developing television with Sky Dance and Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort.

Contains minor themes of homophobia due to religious beliefs. Minor depiction of recreational marijuana use and explicit language. 

TBC

Booking

General sale opens on Thursday 7 May. Once you have booked a ticket, you will receive an email confirmation. Read up on our latest audience guidelines here.

Members of the industry: secure your complimentary seat by emailing the Box Office​​​ on [email protected]

Pricing and concessions 

Tickets cost £14, but we have £7 concessions tickets available to Hammersmith & Fulham residents, schools, students, or people who are over 65, under 18 or are on Job Seeker's Allowance. You'll just need to provide proof of your eligibility when you collect your tickets at the Box Office. We offer a complimentary ticket for carers, to book please call the box office on 020 8834 0500. If you belong to our Pathways Programme or work with any of our Pathways Partners you are entitled to complimentary tickets. Please contact the box office to book.

Accessibility 

If you have any additional requirements, you would like us to be aware of, please contact box office on 020 8834 0500. 

Booking your tickets 

Book your tickets online or by calling our box office on 020 8834 0500. 

Industry booking 

If you're a member of the industry, please email [email protected] to book your tickets. 

Group tickets 

We're pleased to offer discounted tickets to groups of 10+ people. Standard tickets are discounted to £9 per person, while under 18's tickets are discounted to £5 per person. To book, please contact [email protected]

E-Tickets

There is no need to collect tickets. You will be send an E-Ticket via email which you can present on arrival.

Refunds 

Unfortunately, all tickets are non-refundable.

LAMDA is a two-minute walk from Barons Court Station or a ten-minute walk from either West Kensington or Hammersmith Station. 

Please note: Our nearest station, Barons Court, is undergoing refurbishment works throughout 2026. Find out more. 

Creative Team

* LAMDA staff member or visiting artist

Director
Baron Kelly*

Designer 
Erin C. Guan*

Producer
Rebecca Lyle*

Assistant Producer 
Bobby Harding*

Assistant Director 
Lee Ingram

Voice Director
Gurkiran Kaur*

Lighting Designer
Simon Calahan

Sound Designer
Brooke Sangster

Cast

Reginald Mabry
Malachi Edwards

La'Trice Franklin
Allaya Hagigal

Kenny Mabry
Malachi King

Baneatta Mabry
Chelsea Jean-Michel

Beverly Jenkins
Princess Nwafor

Logan Leibowitz
Sean O'Byrne

Brianna Jenkins
Jibby Oladapo

Simone Mabry
Maia Prest  

Production Team

* LAMDA staff member or visiting artist

Production Manager
Bastie Colclough

Stage Manager
Rhianna Minhoca

Deputy Stage Manager
Phoenix Morgan

Assistant Stage Managers
Elaine Redshaw
Isabel Scholes

Production Lx
Abigail Quelch

Programmer
Nic Usher

Production Sound Engineer
Finley Cozens

Dep PSE
Inaaya Abdullah

Sound Assistants
Josh Short
Gray Wills