Bush Young Company to Bush main stage: Coral Wylie and Bashiie Baptiste

At the Bush Theatre, we are committed to being a place our community can grow, experiment, and return to.

Two brilliant artists who’ve done just that are Coral Wylie and Basheba (Bashiie) Baptiste, Bush Young Company alumni whose work continues to shape the future of theatre.

Coral Wylie first joined the Bush as a member of our Young Company, before being selected for the Bush Writers’ Group. Earlier this year, we were immensely proud to stage Coral’s debut play, Lavender, Violet, Hyacinth, Yew – a tender, poetic portrait of intergenerational queer love and grief. For us, seeing Coral step into the main space was not just a celebration of their extraordinary voice, it was a reminder of what grows when you plant the seed and keep nurturing it.

We’re equally thrilled to welcome another Young Company alum back into the building this summer: Bashiie Baptiste, who joins us as Assistant Director on PAUSE/REWIND, our 14-17 Young Company production. Since her time with the Bush, Bashiie has gone on to establish her own company, CareToCulture, which is transforming the creative and employment landscape for care-experienced young artists. Through her work, she’s creating space for stories that have too often gone unheard, and for artists who deserve more than just a seat at the table – they deserve to lead it.

Having Bashiie in the rehearsal room, supporting the next generation of Young Company performers, is a full-circle moment. Her insight, energy and commitment to care-centred practice makes her an incredible role model and a fierce advocate for accessible, inclusive and artist-led spaces. As Coral and Bashiie continue to forge new paths in the industry, they remind us why we do what we do and what happens when you give young people the tools, trust and space to flourish. They don’t just find their voices, they raise them.

PAUSE/REWIND plays in the Holloway Theatre, 8 and 9 August 2025. 

Alongside this, the 18-25 Young Company return with MAKE ME FEEL – a heartfelt and hilarious exploration of connection and vulnerability, performed by some of the most exciting new artists around and written for the company by Will Jackson (Clutch). Playing in the Holloway Theatre, 19 – 23 August 2025.