Beasts (Why Girls Shouldn’t Fear The Dark)

When street harassment collides with Zimbabwean spirituality, what emerges is 'Beasts (Why Girls Shouldn’t Fear The Dark)'. @womxnxarts’ gripping narrative fuses magical realism with ancestry✨🎭

A riveting exploration of trauma after #streetharrasment, what sets @womxnxarts’ play apart is its fusion of #magicalrealism, raw emotion & Zimbabwean spirituality. The narrative's core, deeply rooted in ancestral storytelling, feels as age-old as sitting by a fireside🔥, listening to tales of courage & transformation… 🦁

Ruva's journey, from victim to avenger, is a modern #epic presented with such finesse & authenticity that it's hard to look away👁️ Her Kafkaesque transformation from woman to lion evokes a relatable, slow-burning rage in the face of misogyny…

The script is truly stand out, with a sweeping yet intimate narrative, reminiscent of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o’s “Death and the King’s Horseman”. The lyrical prowess seamlessly blend a range of inspirations from inner- London slang rhythms to Eliot-style epic poetry. A reworking of Dylan Thomas’ "rage against the dying of the light" prompts us into an almost ecclesiastical chorus, a silent call & response. The sound design is another feather in the cap, shifting between afrobeat vibes & cinematic crescendos, enhancing every moment…😌

While the production’s budget constraints are palpable, especially during climactic moments where one can imagine dramatic set design adding to the narrative intensity, the fact that the show still manages to be spellbinding is a testament to its quality. 5/5

#Beastsatfringe #edfringe23 #edfringe2023 #womenroar #theatre