Crescent Cell, Sickle Moon

Social Science April 13, 2026

By Stephen Hibbs

Stephen Hibbs invites you to a production of the forum theatre piece “Crescent Cell, Sickle Moon”, and reflections it’s creation.

When I began my PhD sickle cell crisis care in late 2022, I had a vague notion that it would finish with some sort of “co-produced summary video”, which would share findings of my ethnographic study. Instead, this turned into a touring theatre production – something far beyond my expectations, which I would love to share with you.

This all began with a conversation two years ago with someone participating in my research, who is an actor living with sickle cell. My ethnographic research aims to illuminate what constitutes good sickle cell crisis care, and the avenues to achieve this. We discussed the best way to share the research without losing the power of individual stories and moments through abstraction.

By the end of that conversation, we decided to create a theatre production. We connected with another theatre-maker living with sickle cell and the three of us formed the Sickle Cell Theatre Collective: Kofi Amankwah, Estella Daniels and myself. We spent months talking about the research, sharing our hopes for the play, and thinking through who could help us bring these ideas to life.

Through conversations inside and beyond our group, we connected with the wonderful playwright Mojisola Adebayo, who saw and celebrated our vision and agreed to write this play with us. Mojisola introduced us to brilliant director Gail Babb, and to Tamasha Theatre Company, who have supported our theatre collective in crucial ways throughout.

We’ve met regularly over the last year – both in person and online – and created Crescent Cell, Sickle Moon. The play is an Afrofuturist reimagining of sickle cell care, built on ethnographic work and lived experience. In March, we presented a rehearsed reading to more than 15 people living with sickle cell and healthcare professionals in the National Theatre Studio. The responses were moving and affirmed that we were creating something where people were seen, and moved. Ideas we gathered from this workshop allowed us to refine the script further.

With the support of Arts Council England and others, we will soon embark on 22 performances across hospitals, universities, and public venues in Liverpool and London.

It is a beautiful play, brought to life by an exceptional cast and creative team. I feel humbled to work with this team and to see this come to life.

We would love to share it with anyone interested in the creative process, the subject, or the art itself. All tickets are free and you can see dates and find booking links at www.crescentcell.com.