Month: March 2023

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Someone of Significance – VAULT Festival

🎭 Someone of Significance
📍 VAULT Festival – Network Theatre
đŸŽ« PR invite
⭐⭐

Written by Amalia Kontesi and directed by Sam Tannenbaum, Someone of Significance explores whether love is enough for two people with nothing in common. Will structural barriers and personal beliefs keep them apart or is their connection strong enough to remain together?

The story


We meet Brad and Rosie (Simon Bass and Funlola Olufunwa) colleagues who work for a multinational banking corporation. They hail from different backgrounds, hold opposing views, and are believed to have nothing in common. Despite this, they soon begin an affair (Brad is married!) and fall in love.

As time goes by, their careers take different paths. Rosie turns to politics, holding strong views opposing gentrification. Brad disagrees, believing the new development will bring in opportunities for the community. We witness Rosie’s rise to prominence as a leftwing politician, running for president and continuing advocacy for workers’ rights. Despite Rosie and Brad’s differences in beliefs, they still share their love for one another and continue their secret relationship, hidden away in hotel rooms.

My thoughts

The story intrigued me; I was at least hoping for some in-depth discussion on politics, but what we had was quite a concise overview. Kontesi’s script veered towards ‘rom-com’ territory, and the character’s discussions surrounding societal issues, politics, and structural barriers, were never fully fleshed out.

I did enjoy Rosie and Brad’s debate on the impact of gentrification as both raised interesting arguments. It’s also a timely topic as gentrification is affecting many cities across the world. The script would have gained strength by delving further into these issues, and tying them into the character’s professional and personal opinions, especially as they came from different backgrounds. 

It’s hinted that Brad didn’t ‘have’ to work for his career in contrast to Rosie. As the play was only 60 minutes, there wasn’t enough time to get to know the characters and explore this, so I was left making assumptions. Olunfunwa and Bass gave their best efforts, but the chemistry between the actors was lacking. This made it quite difficult to believe in Rosie and Brad’s relationship and ultimately connect with the story.

The second half of the performance was stronger and included some humorous moments. I enjoyed the staging of the characters in one scene as they stood side by side, showing the contrast between their new lives. The set design is minimal, with two rail wardrobes on either side of the stage. Our characters underwent numerous outfit changes, as political sound bites played in the background. This went on for too long and interrupted the show’s pacing. I also didn’t see the necessity of the costume changes, for they didn’t add to the narrative.

Someone of Significance is a work in progress. Kontesi clearly has great ideas to share, though the execution needs improvements. The themes are strong, the characters have potential – these could be linked cleverly with the current political climate in the USA. Hopefully, over time, there will be a refocus on making this an engaging political-romance drama.

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Clementine – VAULT Festival

🎭 Clementine
📍 VAULT Festival – Network Theatre
đŸŽ« PR invite
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As I walked into Network Theatre for ‘Clementine’, Lady Gaga’s banger, Judas, played – a strong sign that I was going to love this show!

The story

Written and performed by Rosalie Minnitt, ‘Clementine’ is a one-woman musical comedy about a young woman’s quest to find love. The time period of the show isn’t defined, but it takes place ‘in the past’ (The costumes were giving Bridgerton vibes!) 

We meet Lady Clementine (Minnitt), a single 26-year-old, desperate to find the love of her life. Lady Clementine fears if she isn’t married before her birthday, she will end up like her spinster Aunt Lauren. We learn all about Lady Clementine’s previous partners, including one who lost his head and the latest beau who has gone missing. We follow her on a hilarious, eccentric, musical journey to solve the mystery of her ill fortune with love. But perhaps she has been searching for it in all the wrong places


My thoughts

Described as ‘Gen Z’s ode to womanhood’, Minnitt has created a funny, feel-good show, packed with cultural references that fitted perfectly with the story. Enthusiastic direction from Tristan Robinson and Alison Middleton resulted in nonstop laughter during the performance. Lady Clementine pranced, paraded and even spouted water across the stage.

Minnitt maintained such high energy and portrayed various supporting characters including her unfortunate housekeeper, Jackie and the guardian angel flemish DJ. The show was certainly interactive, with willing members of the audience reading letters and even participating in onstage raves. Minnitt is a fantastic performer and a talented comedy writer. I loved how skillfully they bounced off the audience and held our attention for the entire show. Even in the moments when Lady Clementine was offstage, the video projections added the funniest context to the story. The constant puns paired with Minnett’s impeccable comic timing made this show a total delight.

Honor Halford-MacLeod incorporated several musical melodies during the show. We even got an interpretive dance to Beyonce’s Alien Superstar. And who doesn’t love a mid-show ballad? As the audience waved their flameless candles that were placed on the seats, Lady Clementine serenaded us with ‘Guide Me, Stars’ – a song I personally think should be on Spotify.


Amongst the hilarity, the show ends with an empowering high, leaving us happy for Lady Clementine and her newfound (self) love. The hour went by quickly and I was left grinning from what we just watched. Clementine is so much fun – it’s lively, it’s quirky and certainly empowering!

Rosalie Minnett is a comedy star in the making and I can’t wait for what they do next!

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Sleepova – Bush Theatre

🎭 Sleepova
📍 Bush Theatre
đŸŽ« PR invite
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Matilda FeyiáčŁayọ Ibini’s new play, Sleepova is an authentic, funny and moving piece of theatre. We follow 4 Black millennial girls as they gossip, joke, and quarrel during their sleepovers and navigate through their teenage years. Directed by Jade Lewis, Sleepova is a beautiful representation of Black sisterhood and a total joy to watch!

The story

The show begins in 2016, in East London, with four childhood friends celebrating Shan’s (Aliyah Odoffin) 16th birthday with their first-ever sleepover. Shan is vibrant, and full of enthusiasm, despite her long-term health condition. Then we have Elle, the incredibly devout Christian (Shayde Sinclair) and Rey (Amber Grappy), the cool and confidently queer friend. The quartet is complete with the exuberant and proud Yoruba,  Funmni (Bukky Bakray).

Spanning over two years, we witness the girl’s rocky transition from adolescence into adulthood. From prom nights, A-Levels, sexuality, and grief, they grapple with the idea of being friends forever as life doesn’t pan out quite how they had imagined


Photo by Helen Murray

My thoughts

Sleepova is heartwarming, honest and utterly hilarious. The show is a fun-filled bubble of nostalgia – Ibini perfectly encapsulates the experiences of teenagers.

I appreciated every pop cultural and online meme reference that was effortlessly woven into the script. The subtle set and lighting design were effective enough to establish the scenes and varying locations. 

The cast was simply fantastic in their roles. The natural chemistry between them made the scenes even more genuine- it felt like we were watching a real-life group of friends at a sleepover.

Photo by Helen Murray

Sinclair’s Elle is well-mannered and seemingly brainwashed by her religious parents. As Elle battles with her identity, I enjoyed her and Rey’s scene together. It was heartbreaking and the pair displayed such raw emotion. Bakray’s Funmi is captivating, and charismatic, showcasing impeccable comedic timing. I loved the Yoruba phrases Funmi would inject into their speech. Similarly, Odffin performs with wonderful enthusiasm. Despite the character’s chronic illness, this rarely dampens her spirit and she appears to be the glue keeping the girls together.

The second act is far more emotional and features a poignant finale. The characters go through different experiences but what remains the same is the abundant support. Even during their ups and downs, the girls’ loyalty and sisterhood make this play so special.

Photo by Helen Murray

Described as an ‘ode to black women’, Ibini has successfully crafted a relatable play, with honest representation that acknowledges many aspects people may face in life; long-term illness, family struggles, sexuality and grief.

With unique characters performed by a talented cast, Sleepova is a beautiful, modern coming-of-age story depicting teenage dreams and sisterhood. It’s playing at Bush Theatre until 8 April 2023.

All performances of Sleepova are in a relaxed environment. Audiences are free to respond how they like, free to laugh loudly and dance to the music. It makes the experience all the more worthwhile.

Bush Theatre continually stage authentic & diverse stories – it’s the representation needed on theatre stages. I am filled with joy whenever I visit the venue. Their accolades are so well deserved and I’m extremely excited for their future!