Millennium Women
Brixton Home, London
sixteenth Might 2025
It’s 1995 and Jessica strikes from Brighton to North London and instantly turns into entangled within the internet of complexity that surrounds making pals and navigating cliques at a brand new college.
The scenario is exacerbated when the ladies ridicule her for listening to Blur on her Walkman, versus rap or storage, however issues begin to lookup when she connects with Chanel (Tamara Camacho).
Jessica, performed by author Sophia Leonie coming from Brighton, a predominantly white city, has by no means met one other combined race lady, and the 2 change into agency pals.
Whereas tensions rise when Latisha (Distinctive Spencer) declares that “combined race ladies suppose they’re higher than black ladies” the three are united of their want to search out boyfriends, get kissed and keep away from being referred to as a ‘sket’!
The story rolls on in direction of the yr 2000 and the ladies uncover teenage intercourse, cope with misogyny and take the viewers on a nostalgic rollercoaster trip of 90s London’s storage scene.
Playwright Leonie has skillfully inserted a intelligent time-jump, the place by donning a maternal cardigan, she transforms to Jessica’s future self. The viewers are transported to witness future conversations with daughter Jasmine (Nkhanise Phiri), the place teenage ladies’ expertise of misogyny has expanded to incorporate sexting.
On the entire, Millenium Women is great writing, and tonight the sold-out crowd erupt with laughter when the highly effective and edgy Spencer as Latisha exclaims “fuckin’ South London” or that the Colosseum is much and “I ain’t gettin’ no 4 evening busses like earlier than”. The viewers, primarily middle-aged ladies, whoop and whistle at mentions of Pure Groove document store, Bagley’s and Camden Palace. ‘Gass Membership on a Sunday’ acquired a very large cheer, as Leonie’s lived-in work succeeds splendidly in bringing to life the nice instances from twenty years previous, whereas highlighting the issues of predatory behaviour and poisonous masculinity which might be nonetheless to be solved.
In Leonie’s personal phrases, she’s telling a ‘working class, mixed-race story’, but in addition needs to symbolize ladies now getting into their 40s, “There’s a kind of invisibility that occurs for ladies as we hit this age, which will be exhausting”.
Extra Data
MILLENNIUM GIRLS By Sophia Leonie London premiere – Brixton Home, 385 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8GL
Runs till thirty first Might 2025, to e-book a go to: Brixton Home
boxoffice@brixtonhouse.co.uk 020 7582 7680 Instances: Tue – Sat, 7.45pm with matinees on Sat 24 & Sat 31 Might at 2.45pm Captioned efficiency: Tue 27 Might, 7.45pm Age Steering: 14 Content material Steering: Some specific language and references to sexual assault Tickets: from £16 Operating time: 70 minutes (no interval)
‘Home Lates’ within the Bar will supply late-night occasions of comedy, DJ classes, and social quizzes and video games nights on chosen efficiency nights.
Author: Sophia Leonie
Director: Jade Lewis
Producer: Zoe Gibbons
Forged:
Chanel: Tamara Camacho
Jessica: Sophia Leonie
Jasmine: Nkhanise Phiri
Latisha: Distinctive Spencer
Images: Helen Murray.
Phrases by Phil Ross. Extra writing by Phil will be discovered at his Louder Than Warfare creator’s archive.
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