Adapted by Ryan Calais Cameron, Jessica Kaliisa’s Queens of Sheba packs a punch by breaking down, and breaking into song, the realities of intersectional situations as we follow the lives of four black women navigating their love lives.

“This is my reality” is the ethos of this award-winning play. It follows the journeys of four unnamed women getting ready, queuing up and dancing at a club. The story highlights the furious experiences of black women in society, poetically examining ‘misogynoir’ (the intersection of racism/sexism) in a brisk, jocular style, inviting audiences to feel the spectrum of emotion that they feel in such situations. The actors emulate the microaggressions of white men, and while using the audience as a mirror, they switch between playful “girl talk” and lingering silence that forces you to introspect.

The women sing unapologetically as they proudly flaunt their natural hair. Their performances reflect the subsequent performativity that comes from simply existing in the world as a black woman: they cry and scream and laugh through it all. With no linear structure, the show bridges events from the present day to a liminal space where context is provided through song and dance. The women make use of the whole stage: lying on laps, stroking limbs and dancing through smiles and tears. Equal parts intense and invigorating, the show has the audience clapping after every song.

Occasionally there are poetic revelations that feel disconnected from the shows regular flow of movement and song, but the comedy serves as a powerful tool to veer away any critical attention to detail of this kind, leaving only moments of genuine interaction from audiences. The soulful renditions by classic icons such as Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Gladys Knight, juxtapose chilling, serious lines. Like it’s form, then, Queens of Sheba stands loud and proud, alternating between dropping heat and calm.

Name of Production | Queens of Sheba

Year of Production | 2022

Venue | Soho Theatre

Cast | Elisha Robin, Eshe Asante, Kokoma Kwaku, Tosin Alabi

Director | Jessica Kaliisa

Writer | Jessica L. Hagan

Adaptor | Ryan Calais Cameron

Movement Director | Yassmin V. Foster

Producers / Production Company | Soho Theatre

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