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Munya Chawawa is making his stage-acting debut as Bottom in a 1990s-inspired production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Chichester Festival Theatre. The comedian says he wants to reduce his reliance on social media, where creators increasingly compete for attention, while also helping more young Black audiences discover live theatre.
British comedian and content creator Munya Chawawa is taking on a new creative challenge with his first major stage acting role, appearing as Bottom in a contemporary production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The production will open at Chichester Festival Theatre in West Sussex on 18 September and run until 17 October. Set against the backdrop of Britain’s 1990s rave culture, the adaptation gives Shakespeare’s familiar characters a distinctly political and modern setting.
For Chawawa, the theatre role also represents a broader change in direction. After building his career through short-form online comedy, he says he is increasingly interested in stepping away from the pressures of social media and spending more time on live, in-person creative work.
Chawawa became widely known through online comedy characters including Unknown P, his upper-class drill rapper, as well as sketches involving fictional versions of well-known personalities and public figures.
His online success eventually expanded into television, documentaries, stand-up comedy and appearances on Taskmaster. Two of his television documentaries have received BAFTA nominations.
The 33-year-old now sees theatre as another step in that progression.
He said his years creating short-form videos had helped him reach opportunities he had been aiming for, but he wanted to discover what came next. His current goal is to move towards larger projects and new challenges rather than remain dependent on social platforms.
Chawawa says his decision to explore theatre comes partly as social media has become more crowded.
He believes algorithms and the sheer volume of online content have made it increasingly difficult for carefully produced creative work to reach audiences. He described the competition for attention as increasingly intense, with material capable of disappearing quickly among millions of other videos.
He also says he is deliberately trying to use his phone less.
Chawawa feels nostalgic for the period before smartphones became central to everyday social experiences. He particularly remembers the freedom associated with 1990s rave culture, when people could attend parties without worrying that every moment might be recorded and uploaded online.
He says he misses experiences where people could simply enjoy themselves without performing for a digital audience.
Chawawa has spent considerable time researching Britain's illegal rave scene of the 1990s while preparing for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
In the production, Bottom is presented as a member of the Young Conservatives, while Theseus is portrayed as a Conservative MP who has shut down free raves in the area.
Chawawa says he has approached Shakespeare's language seriously during rehearsals, studying theatrical terminology and taking notes as he prepares for his first stage role.
The production gives him an opportunity to combine his experience with comedy and political satire with the demands of classical theatre.
Chawawa's interest in theatre extends beyond his own acting career.
He became interested in live theatre at 16 after seeing The Lion King, describing the experience as similar to watching an exceptionally powerful film but happening in front of him in real life.
As an adult, however, he felt that some theatre environments were not particularly welcoming to him as a Black audience member.
A major turning point came when he watched Ryan Calais Cameron's play For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy. Chawawa was deeply affected by the production and wanted more young Black boys to have access to theatre.
He subsequently began taking groups of teenagers to performances and established the Black Boys Theatre Club.
The club takes young people to see different plays each month before holding discussions afterwards. Productions they have attended include Dracula and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
For Chawawa, the aim is not necessarily to persuade every participant to become an actor. Instead, he wants young people to understand that theatre can be a welcoming environment, whether they eventually perform on stage or simply attend as an audience member.
Chawawa has praised theatres for efforts to attract more diverse audiences but argues that affordability and wider social changes are also important.
Arts Council England data cited in the report shows that 10% of theatre audiences in 2023 came from Black, Asian or other ethnically diverse backgrounds.
His theatre club is scheduled to attend his A Midsummer Night’s Dream performance next month.
Chawawa hopes the experience will introduce more young people to the unique qualities of live performance, where audiences experience actors and emotions directly rather than through a screen.
Chawawa has not announced a complete departure from social media. Instead, his comments suggest he wants to broaden his career beyond digital platforms while reducing the amount of time he personally spends on them.
His Shakespeare debut marks another stage in a career that began with online comedy and has since expanded into television, documentary-making and stand-up.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed at Chichester Festival Theatre from 18 September to 17 October 2026.
Munya Chawawa is a British comedian, content creator and documentary maker known for satirical online characters and television appearances.
He is appearing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, playing Bottom.
He says social media has become increasingly crowded and competitive, with algorithms making it harder for creators to reach audiences. He is also seeking more in-person experiences.
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