LULU

Seventh grader, Leilani Ragobeer, affectionately known as “Lala Lulu”, is a storyteller, mover and a shaker who is passionate about performing arts. Outside of theatre, you can find her on the basketball or volleyball court or immersing in music on the clarinet and piano.

JUMBIE #1 / JAB JAB / ENSEMBLE

Kabrena Robinson is an award-winning Afro-Jamaican multidisciplinary storyteller, performer, children’s book author, and youth mentor. She has been performing on stages across the Caribbean and North America since the age of nine. Currently an Artist-in-Residence at the Black Theatre School, she is in the process of creating her debut biomyth monodrama.

ANANSI

KayGeni is a Toronto based multidisciplinary creator and storyteller originally from the Bahamas. She is known for her work in performance, writing, and visual arts often sharing personal experiences through an honest and vulnerable approach. Her work and music is heavily influenced by the colours, textures,  vibration and cultural tapestry of her home country, The Bahamas.

DOCTOR BIRD

Danielle is a Jamaican-Canadian actor living in Toronto. Previous productions include For Coloured Girls (Lady in Purple), Katherine Johnson’s Spaceship Earth (Katherine), The Little Mermaid (Ensemble) and RENT (Joanne). She is thrilled to make her Fringe Festival debut with this beautiful ensemble, telling a story that feels like home.

JUMBIE #2 / SOUCOUYANT / ROLLING CALF / ENSEMBLE

Tasha Gray is an actress, writer, and director. After studying acting for film, television and theatre at the Toronto Film School, she now immerses in her local Toronto film scene as an establishing filmmaker. She made her directorial debut in June 2021 with a short film called Mismatch, which she also wrote. Today, Tasha maintains a strong social media following in the likes of film, photography, Black culture and alternative fashion

JAMIE

Sashoya Simpson is an award winning Afro-Jamaican storyteller whose artistic work embodies Caribbean folklore and cultural practices through theatre performance, storytelling and literary art. She’s the founder of the Walking Griot collective and recently the award recipient of the Che Kothari Artist & Instigator Award (2025) and a Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prizes protege (2025). She’s currently the Associate Artistic Director of the Watah Theatre and the Black Theatre School.

GRANDMA CLARICE / LA DIABLESSE

Najla Nubyanluv is queer, Black producer, multidisciplanary artist, educator, and doula. She is a 3 time graduate of The Watah Theatre including a fellowship culminating in the world premiere of her afrofuturist play entitled "I Cannot Lose My Mind". More recently she completed a ThisGen Fellowship with WhyNot Theatre.

DIRECTOR

d’bi.young is an internationally acclaimed visionary dub poet, playwright-performer, director-dramaturge, and activist-scholar. They create, embody, and teach critical dub pedagogy, and have authored twelve plays, seven albums, and four collections of poetry. Culminating their PhD in Black womyn’s theatre, their research centers on the epistemological, ontological, and somatic emancipation of the oppressed self through storytelling.

SOUND DESIGNER

Stephon Smith, aka Spliffon is a versatile actor, rapper, songwriter, producer, and sound designer from Toronto. With a background in Hip Hop, RnB, Reggae, and Dancehall, he has worked on numerous productions, from theatre sound design to music. Stephon seeks to collaborate with more artists and further expand his creative range.

STAGE MANAGER

Taylor Cumming (she/her) is an emerging artist based in Toronto. She is a graduate of York University’s BFA Theatre Production and Design program, with a drive and passion for Stage Managing the arts. Most recent credits include The Ashkenaz Festival (Harbourfront Centre), Soulpepper Academy Showcase (Soulpepper Theatre), Greatfelt Greatness (Toronto Fringe), The Walk Up (Soulpepper Theatre) Dance Nation (York University Theatre).

CHOREOGRAPHER

Kelly-Ann Johnson, known as Ern, is a multi-talented artist from Sweet Jam Dung (Jamaica) whose passion for dance and performance spans numerous styles, including Dancehall, Jazz, Afro-Caribbean Folk, Vogue, and more. Since moving to Canada in 2011, Ern has graced prestigious stages, including the Dora Award-nominated Convergent Divergency – “Give Me One” with the Toronto Dance Theatre and Myst Milano’s Uncanny Valley Tour. She has also worked with high-profile campaigns like Adidas x Toronto FC and collaborated on music videos for artists such as Sean Paul and Sydanie.

SET DESIGNER

Amelia Mielke-O'Grady is a Toronto based theatre creative originally from the Ottawa Valley. She is a graduate of York University's Theatre Production and Design program, and works as a set designer, scenic artist, props person, and stage manager. Her work has been on stages across Toronto and beyond.

COSTUME DESIGNER

With a background in fashion design and merchandising, Candice founded SugaCayne as a part-time creative outlet.

SugaCayne is a Caribbean Carnival Arts and production collective based in Toronto, that brings a unique carnival design aesthetic and "mas-building" experience to local and international Caribbean carnivals.  They have been creating intricately designed costumes in Toronto, Cayman Islands, Miami, Chicago and Trinidad since 2010. Candice is now the proud creator and instructor of the first Carnival Arts course offered at an accredited university in Canada through Toronto Metropolitan University (Fashion at the Creative School).

PLAYWRIGHT / PRODUCER

Sashoya Simpson is an award winning Afro-Jamaican storyteller whose artistic work embodies Caribbean folklore and cultural practices through theatre performance, storytelling and literary art. She’s the founder of the Walking Griot collective and recently the award recipient of the Che Kothari Artist & Instigator Award (2025) and a Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prizes protege (2025). She’s currently the Associate Artistic Director of the Watah Theatre and the Black Theatre School.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Sue-Tanya Lee (she/her) is an Afro-Jamaican theatre producer and creator who is interested in developing works by artists from marginalized communities and creating space for new and innovative multidisciplinary work that pushes boundaries and challenges conventional storytelling in bold new ways. She is currently an Apprentice Producer and Production Weaver with the Black Theatre School founded by d’bi.young anitafrika. Producing credits include: LULU (Toronto Fringe Festival, 2025); Bitty-Bat & Friends (Toronto Fringe Festival, 2025); Neptune With A Fish (Paprika Festival, 2025); Star People (Leigha Lee Browne Theatre); The Refugee Hotel (Leigha Lee Browne Theatre).