By 2018, grime artist and producer Jammz had been professionally active for several years but had not previously considered theatre as a career path. That changed when a friend, Debris Stevenson, invited him to collaborate on her play *Poet in da Corner*. Initially contributing to an early draft of a song, Jammz was subsequently invited to participate in a table reading at the Royal Court Theatre in London, where he was cast to play SS Vyper, a pirate radio DJ character.
Jammz described feeling nervous at first but quickly recognized that performing a scripted role shared many similarities with his work as an MC. The production loosely follows Stevenson’s autobiographical journey, highlighting her experiences growing up with dyslexia in a strict religious household. A pivotal moment in the play is her discovery of Dizzee Rascal’s debut album *Boy in da Corner*, which profoundly reshaped her understanding of language and self-expression. The character Vyper, stemming from the same neighborhood but taking a different life path, provides a complementary perspective. Jammz noted their onstage interactions, sometimes dramatically disputing ownership of their shared narrative, revealed the complexity and multiplicity of stories within their community.
Grime music, with its theatrical roots—particularly before 2004 when pirate radio dominated—required MCs to adopt larger-than-life personas to stand out. Through his theatrical work, Jammz came to appreciate theatre as another form of storytelling akin to grime, but performed in a different context. He emphasized the importance of *Poet in da Corner* in challenging the historical marginalization of grime, which had often been ostracized and even banned from clubs. The play’s staging at a respected venue like the Royal Court confirmed the genre’s legitimacy as an art form.
His involvement in the production marked a turning point. Jammz credits the experience with enhancing his stagecraft and confidence, enabling him to engage audiences more effectively and explore new creative avenues. The Royal Court later commissioned him to write his own play, further establishing his presence in theatre. His subsequent work includes projects as a sound designer and music assistant, as well as his play *Blaze FM*, which recently embarked on its third tour.
*Poet in da Corner* helped redefine Jammz’s career trajectory, allowing him to expand the skills developed as a grime artist into new theatrical spaces. Currently, his music features in the production *For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf*, running at The Yard Theatre, London, until October 17.