About

Testament is an acclaimed writer, rapper and Guinness world record breaking human beatboxer who is based in West Yorkshire.

Testament’s work ranges from spoken word poetry, playwrighting and composition, to essay writing, live beatbox show to radio presenting. Testament’s work has received praise from Lemn Sissay, graphic novelist Alan Moore, actor and writer Patterson Joseph, BBC presenter Lauren Laverne and the progenitor of Hip-Hop himself DJ Koolherc.

Testament’s work as a rapper includes the celebrated Hip-Hop album Homecut: No Freedom Without Sacrifice, as well as several spoken word performances for BBC TV and BBC Radio (1xtra, Radio 4 and 6Music). In 2019 he was Channel 4 Writer in Residence at Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester.

As a playwright Testament has written for theatres such as The Royal Court, Leeds Playhouse, The Globe and Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester among others.

Testament’s work for screen includes clients such as Netflix, Disney Plus, BBC and Channel 4.

Over the years Testament has worked with a diverse range of people from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Grammy winner Corinne Bailey Rae, Ray Parker Jnr,  jazz legends Joe Lovano and Jean Toussaint, Mercury nominee Soweto Kinch and he won the BBC Urban Music Talent Award in 2007. In 2015 he wrote his first show the acclaimed play Blake Remixed – a personal response to the work of William Blake which had a successful run in Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015 and since then he has straddled the world of music, literature and theatre.  

THEATRE & RADIO DRAMA

Testament last show Orpheus In The Record Shop opened at the Leeds Playhouse in 2020 to critial acclaim and a filmed version was broadcast on BBC Four to a national audience. It was an Opera North & Leeds Playhouse production. The story takes inspiration from Greek myth and deals with contempoary issues for Leeds based 21st Century Orpheus.

Testament’s debut Radio Play for BBC Radio 4 The Beatboxer was shortlisted for The Imison Award at The BBC Audio Drama Awards 2020. Daughter his 2021 audio drama was nominated for the PRIX EUROPA Radio Fiction of the Year 2022 and went onto receive a Special Commendation at the 2023 BBC Audio Drama Awards.

Testament also penned the play Black Men Walking, nominated for BEST NEW PLAY at the UK Theatre Awards and BEST PLAY at the Writer’s Guild Awards. Produced by the award-winning Eclipse Theatre Company and The Royal Exchange Manchester, it toured nationally in 2018 including The Royal Court.

Both Black Men Walking and Orpheus in the Record Shop are studied at various universities.

TV

Testament is a writer on the Castlevania Nocturne - a critically acclaimed animated dark fantasy series on NETFLIX based on the iconic Konami video games in 2023.

Testament also co-wrote raps and spoken word pieces for the 2023 Disney Plus TV series The Full Monty with Alice Nutter.

COMPOSING

As a Composer, as well as composing for his own radio and theatre projects, Testament has composed music for adverts for Adidas (for an international award winning campaign at Dubai Lynx 2022 ), as well as other scores for other companies on TV and advertising. Testament was also the Musical Director touring show Skip Rap with Mind The Gap artist Alan Clay. Testament is currently composing the music and lyrics for the exciting musical Chisholm for President (based on the lfie of Shirley Chisholm) for Leeds Studios and The Southbank Centre.

PRESENTING

Testament has guest presented BBC flagship Poetry shows The V3RB on BBC Radio 3. Testament is also the former presenter of Radio 4’s ’Seriously’ podcast and has presented a series of reports on the MOBO Awards for ITV. Testament has been a guest presenter on BBC 5Live alongside the brilliant Nihal Arthanayake, and has presented BBC Radio 4’s flagship show “Pick of the Week” several times.

TEACHING

Testament's poetry has been published in several anthologies and has been used a teaching resource in the UK and in over 25 countries around the world.  He is also a international workshop facilitator, founding workshop company Hip-Hop Clinic in 2014 producing workshops in venues that range from schools, universities and stadiums, to prisons and park benches. Work as a poet coach includes BBC Radio 1, BBC 1xtra, The Roundhouse and Apples & Snakes. He has given talks for several unversities and two of his plays are studied at degree level.

Testament was also a judge for The BBC Young Writers' Award with First Story & Cambridge University in 2019 and a judge for the Alfred Bradley Award for Audio Drama in 2023.