Writer: Oladipo Agboluaje
Director: Mojisola Elufowoju
Hull’s long-standing relationships with intercontinental collaboration reaches far beyond the 2017 City of Culture festivities. The city, proud of its heritage and cultural exchange, it twinned with Freetown, West Africa, in 1979. Here’s What She Said To Me seems perfectly relevant, housed at Hull Truck during the theatre’s 50th anniversary celebrations and, though played in rep by a touring company, it feels like the right time for this story to be told.
Cross generations of actors from Utopia Theatre present this typically accurate and necessary new play which proudly flies the flag for black liberation. Combining drama, poetry, movement and music each player brings an almost magnetic energy to Hull Truck’s studio space.
Quite often though this show feels a little like a work- in-progress and despite the best efforts from this talented cast of three, the story lacks any real sense of pace and depth. The main themes addressed here are of family, heritage, love and hope. “Without our heritage we are lost” – a stark reminder of these themes echo throughout. This is a story of pride and shame, of power and resilience, of anger and of joy. This is their truth and these actors have a story to tell – even if it’s not always illuminative. The play shows real promise and has the potential to be something quite brilliant. However at the moment it is still too raw. It isn’t going to set the world alight, but the fine performances by the three brilliant actors (Oyin Oriya, Lola May and Anni Domingo) just might ignite the flame.
This play challenges the cultural normative by breaking deep rooted tradition. It reminds us that love wins, a pertinent and fitting message for today’s climate. The play isn’t as inviting or exciting as one hoped it would be and whilst the premise is strong, there is no shame in trying to fix it. Perhaps after a few tweaks and rewrites this critic would gladly sit through it again. The final still image as the players embrace sends out a powerful message of hope and optimism as the company help pave the way to become a prominent voice in African Theatre.
Reviewed on 24th February 2022
