Remembering Mona Hammond

To Mona’s Family,

We have created this book of messages and photographs to celebrate and commemorate Mona Hammond OBE.

With love from Talawa

Thank you Mona, for your incredible body of work, and also for being a trailblazer, inspiring a wealth of people and artists who have been touched by your presence. Your incredible legacy will continue, and we will carry it forward always through Talawa.

MICHAEL BUFFONG, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF TALAWA THEATRE COMPANY

Mona Hammond was one of the greatest British actors of her generation. She forged a career that was not defined by her race while simultaneously helping to redefine what it means to be a Black actor in Britain. Throughout her career she broke new barriers and smashed through galls ceilings, but most importantly she built ladders and structures to help other actors of colour to walk through the doors she broke through, and the scale the heights of the glass ceiling she smashed. I am honoured that RADA played a part in her journey to becoming a great actor and I know she is an inspiration to the new actors that we are training.

MARCUS RYDER, CHAIR OF RADA

Everything about Mona was vital. It’s what she brought to performances and to the spaces she’d be in, conversations she held and to life. Mona was also vital to the development of Black British Theatre’s emerging and identity. We were blessed to have her energy to set the tone and carve the path.

MARTINA LAIRD, ACTOR

Mona was a wonderful actress and a joy to represent - she was an extraordinary talent, a trailblazer in her field and we are indebted to her for her considerable contribution to, and achievements in the Arts.

DALLAS SMITH, AGENT

A great bright light. If Mona was making an appearance in a production, you knew with huge confidence that tings were going to get interesting. Cheeky, sexy, standout performances, she was able to flip a moment with so much pathos. She broke down so many doors. Her warmth, her strength. May she rest, rest in power.

SHARON DUNCAN-BREWSTER, ACTOR

Mona’s brilliance as an actor, her courage and focus and wit are fantastic examples for all we women of colour following in her footsteps. It has been an honour to work with Mona and learn from her as an artist and human being.

ADJOA ANDOH, ACTOR

Mona was so warm and kind and taught me so much when I joined Talawa way back when. I found out exactly what ‘talawa’ meant being in her presence!

HAZEL HOLDER, VOICE COACH

Mona was a true inspiration. As a fellow Jamaican, I am so proud of all that she achieved in her lifetime. She was a trailblazer, a force of energy paving the way in an industry that came with so many challenges as young black woman. You will be missed Mona, More Love

LEVI ROOTS, ENTREPRENEUR

We have lost a chieftain of our tribe. Mona Hammond has left us. We will call her name for generations. A pathfinder, a gentlewoman, a mentor and a wonderful actor.

DOÑA CROLL, ACTOR

I have wonderful memories of Mona it was an honour to work with her on Eastenders but also to be her friend. I learnt so much about life and acting from her, things that I already pass on to the younger generation whenever I can. She had such energy and loved to dance whenever she got the chance and boy could she move!

LINDSEY COULSON, ACTOR

Mona and I shared so many glorious times together. We shared a love for coffees in cosy cafes, lunches by the river, vintage clothes, rummaging, running market stalls together, and so many play readings. And endless running of lines for all her TV and film work. Mona impressed me with her desire to be so word perfect that it would leave her free to really dig deep into the character portrayal. My favourite memory is of her running around my flat enacting a moment in preparation for a Lars Von Trier film which involved a gun. We tried so many ways of interpreting those lines that we exhausted ourselves. Such was her dedication. I shall treasure all the stories she told me. And the laughter. Mona loved stories and loved to laugh.

LINNIE REEDMAN, DIRECTOR

A pioneer with such class and grace. The opportunity to makeup her beautiful face and be a part of helping her find her character is one I shall treasure. She was a generous gift giver too I have a huge, beautiful chain of amber she thought would look wonderful on me.

SHARON MARTIN, MAKE UP ARTIST

Mona’s kindness - I was having a very rough time, young child, single parent, no acting work post Eastenders. Mona paid for me and my daughter to go and visit our dear friend Glyn Picton, who has now sadly passed too. This was no ordinary visit down the road, it was a weeks holiday in Portugal! She also gave me gifts, a nest of tables, cushions, clothes, scarves. She had innate taste, an inborn sense of style. She would help me dress ‘in the proper way’ whenever we went to posh functions. She also loved to dance, and she could boogie like no one was watching far into the night! She put the rest of us to shame! Come on, get up, she’d say, as she shimmied onto the dance floor. I spent years under the umbrella of her love and generosity and I am forever grateful that she entered my life and enriched it.

SHOBU KAPOOR, ACTOR

I used to go to a writing workshop at Theatre Royal Stratford. One time Yvonne Brewster and Mona Hammond from Talawa Theatre visited the workshop.

Mona read a character in my play. When she read it at first, I was annoyed.

People were laughing. I was thinking ‘why is everyone laughing?’ Someone said ‘Oh my God you are so funny!’ I didn’t think I was and that was when I saw what an actress could do. She read it about three or four different ways, and I really witnessed the skill of an actor.

We continued to see each other over the years. One time I remember being out with her when she was still in EastEnders. We were walking along the street and everyone was looking and wanting to speak to her. She whispered to me “Oh God Kofi, I can’t even do my little shopping”. I thought here you are a big star and I’m walking with you like you’re my mum moaning about your shopping. You’re in EastEnders and I’m getting second hand praise from the public because I’m with a celebrity, but she wants to do her shopping.

For me to see the versatility of her what she could do, how she could flex, how she would really go for it was inspiring. She was adventurous.

KOFI AGYEMANG, PLAYWRIGHT

The first time I met Mona was when I was carrying my son of six months up the stairs in the flats where we lived. From then on we became great friends. Mona was like a second mum to me and a grandma to my sons. She helped me so much with my children, even looking after my first son, Sam when I had gave birth to my second son, Chris in the middle of the night. We would often have dinner together we especially loved her rice and peas. Mona spent some Christmas with us and would have us laughing with her great sense of humour. When my family moved into a house in East Twickenham, Mona bought a house there too. We loved to chat in the garden with a glass of wine. We both loved car boots and charity shops. We would go to Kempton Market together to buy plants. Mona loved her garden; she taught me how to plant flowers and their names. We were friends for over 30 years, I’ll always treasure the happy memories.

ELAINE JONES, NEIGHBOUR

My first encounter with Mona was in the 80s Mona played my mother for the Granada Television production ‘Crown Court’. At read through, Mona delivered a spellbinding performance that had everyone in tears. I was awestruck and I knew then that Mona was a great actress and that I’d needed to step up my game playing opposite her. Suffice to say, Mona was a generous actress who treated everyone she worked with, with kindness and respect. I feel deeply honoured and privileged to have known and worked with her. Long may she be remembered.

KELVIN O’MARD, ACTOR

‘In her, I recognised, a ‘not so quiet’…spirit of rebellion…with a cause.’

ANGELA WYNTER, ACTOR

It was a pleasure to write for, and work with Mona Hammond. She played Gran in my radio play ‘Single PLUS One, BBC R 4 and Auntie Mu in my radio drama, ‘Those Old Metal Things’, BBC R 4. Mona came to Bradford to play Muriel in the Screen Yorkshire development of my film script Time Out. It was such a joy to watch how Mona brought my characters to life, with that mischievous glint in her eye. Mona had a very generous spirit and was always supportive, encouraging me all the way. Ever grateful. RIP Mona Hammond OBE.

TRISH COOKE, WRITER

Always a loyal, wonderful and joyful friend. She was a brilliant actress and her performances will forever live in the memory. Her teasing sense of humour and her magnificent talent meant she was a treasure to have in any company. She will be sorely missed by all who worked with her, and the thousands who saw her lighting up the stage or on screen with her brilliance

NICOLAS KENT

A true giant has left the building. She shone bright. Thank you for everything Mona

JO MARTIN, ACTOR

I meet Mona on my first role for BBC Play for Today “In The Beautiful Caribbean”. She played my mother and was very helpful and generous to me in my debut television role. We became friends and I would often babysit her son Michael for her nightly performances. We later worked together again on the Tricycle’s production of “Playboy Of The West Indies” by Mustapha Matura which was also televised by the BBC.

For a person with such a small frame Mona was a giant on stage. Her mesmerising and imaginative performances would have audiences enthralled and at the edge of their seats. She was a generous actress and a joy to work with on stage. A warm and lovely human being she will be greatly missed.

JOAN-ANN MAYNARD