Soho Theatre – until 21 August 2021
4****
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
Inspired by the incident at DSTRKT in 2015 when a group of women were turned away for being “too black”, Jessica L Hagan’s Queens of Sheba, directed by Jessica Kaliisa, is a blistering rollercoaster of emotion as four women share their stories of what it is to be a black woman in a world of misogynoir. The noises of recognition from the audience throughout the show, from men and women, say it all. After each story, their refrain is: They ask me where I am from! I say I am a mix of both racism and sexism. They lay equally on my skin, passed down unknowingly by my next of kin.
The amazingly talented cast – Tosin Alabi, Eshe Asante, Kokoma Kwaku and Elisha Robin – have performed the show many times, and their chemistry is electric. The sense of sisterhood as they share spoken word sections, comfort each other, make each other laugh, sing, or just sit in silence is palpable. The everyday racism and sexism they describe is instantly recognisable, from the first days at a new job and the attitude of white co-workers, to an awful first date with a white man who fetishizes “exotic” women. The cast slip into different characters effortlessly, with their caricatures of men, white and black, hilariously accurate. The section in the club as they portray a group of men hitting on women is hysterical and awful – you will cringe and cry with laughter at the same time. Whenever things look bleak, the women lose themselves in the songs of Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Tina Turner – with stunning singing and harmonies. The show also tackles the women’s tricky relationship with modern black artists, lifted up the music but oppressed and brutalised by the lyrics.
Laying bare the realities and struggles of black women, but also celebrating the strength and sisterhood this creates, Queens of Sheba is an exhilarating show that will stay with you for a long time.