She comprises of seven duologues by Anthony Clark loosely inspired by “The Seven Ages of Man” speech in Shakespeare’s As you like it. Performed over two hours by Safeena Ladha and Chenise Lynette where the actors take on several different characters.
In the first short named She, a smartly dressed Coralie (Safeena) calls to the flat of her younger sister Scarlett (Chenise), who has a three month old baby. The flat is in disarray, covered in baby grows. We hear the voice of baby crying continuously behind a bedroom door. Scarlett is struggling with mental health issues as a young single mother and asks her sister if she thinks she is a bad mother.
In another short, Nunkhead, two old school friends Marlene (Chenise), a partner in a successful interior design company and Jess (Safeena) a PHD student in Crop Science, meet at a French restaurant. They drink prosecco and devise how they will confront the waitress at the restaurant (described by them as “Nunkhead”) who tormented and bullied them in school. They pontificate about how they will get their own back about complaining about the meal and service. This is while recalling the instances where she humiliated in the past showing how the scars left by bullying live with them long after their school days despite how successful they have become.
In the Warriors for Humanity short, we meet Ruth (Safeena), a protestor who describes herself as a warrior for Humanity with her supermarket trolly containing boxes of signatures in a waiting room for the local MP. She plans to confront him about the injustices in the constituency. We also meet a homeless veteran Sam (Chenise), who joined the army in good faith hoping it would better her life, but after doing her job has been abandoned by the government. She just wants a job. They argue about who should be seen first. Then they hear an announcement that the MP will not be showing up after all with some pitiful excuse.
Safeena Ladha and Chenise Lynette give convincing and engaging performances throughout with a wide range of different accents brilliantly executed.
Runs at Tara theatre, London, until 11 February and touring until 12 March.
