Exploring the intricate threads of migration, memory and the weight of inheritance, the powerful new play-in-development, Roots, takes centre stage at Theatre Peckham’s Studio 1 on 11 to 12 May 2026 at 8:00 PM. A highlight of the celebrated Peckham Fringe, this production marks another milestone in the flourishing landscape of Filipino representation in British theatre.
Written by award-winning London-based Filipino playwright Jose Socrates “Soc” Delos Reyes, Roots follows Alon and Corazon, a father and daughter traveling to the Philippines to bury Corazon’s grandfather, Bobby. As they journey home, decades of long-buried memories resurface, forcing the pair to confront the social, political and economic conditions that shaped their family’s migration.
“Roots is a celebration and an insistence of being Filipino in the UK”, says Delos Reyes, a recipient of the Snoo Wilson Prize for Scriptwriting and the Woven Voices Prize for his play In the Remains.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to feature Filipino voices, bodies, and stories in the British theatre scene. It’s been especially enlightening to connect with Filipino creatives from all sorts of migrant backgrounds. It’s rare to have shows that center Filipino experiences and languages. Roots is my own step towards changing that”, he said.
A Filipino creative team
The production is directed by Tara Jamora Oppen, a freelance director, actor, and multi-hyphenate theatre maker from the Philippines. Jamora Oppen trained in Theatre Arts at Ateneo de Manila University before moving to the UK to pursue a master’s degree in Directing from Lamda.
The Filipino cast features Mikki Villa as Alon, Rose Charmaine Camacho as Corazon and Amar Atienza as Bobby. The cast’s collective acting experience includes professional productions in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, and the UK.
The wider creative team includes dramaturg Dominique La Victoria, an award-winning Filipino theatre artist whose recent credits writing credits include Can Mangoes Grow in Glasgow, staged by A Play, A Pie and A Pint at Òran Mór for A Slice of the Pie, and This Is My Name, a new musical she is co-writing with Melisa Camba. The play was developed at Birmingham Hippodrome and showcased at multiple venues across England.
The production is also supported by other Filipino artists: Rio Tanchuling (stage and production manager), Louise Pimentel (production designer) and Marianne Therese Cadiz (graphic designer).
The creative team is rounded out by lighting designer and Indian theatre artist bhakti, and British sound designer EJ Walker.
Roots will be performed at Studio 1, Theatre Peckham, as part of Peckham Fringe 2026, on May 11 and May 12 at 8 PM.
Book your tickets here.
