At its core, Nkenna Akunna’s monologue is a breakup story. Over the course of one evening we journey alongside Lady (Tiajna Amayo) as she crashes her oldest friend Gemma’s 25th birthday celebration – even though they haven’t seen each other for six months. But, how could she miss it? They’ve known each other for basically their whole lives. Yet, their time apart has made them unusually but starkly different.
So, instead of being the life and soul of the party, Lady makes a scene. Unwilling to let go of their long history and the perfect picture of the people they once were, their overdue reunion implodes. Akunna’s writing exudes the panic and uncertainty of life your early 20s. Lady is uneasy, but masks her anxieties with sharp-tongued outbursts and another large swig of wine. Told through the solo voice of Lady, the play is very much one side of the story: the reason for their distance is blamed, mainly, on Gemma. She villainises and loathes every new friend of Gemma’s that she meets. The night is shared with the audience – her confidants – with sarcasm, eye rolls and rudeness as if we are automatically on her team.
But in spite of all her mayhem, it is hard not to warm to Lady. Tiajna Amayo – who, after suffering an injury in rehearsals, performs on crutches when I see the show – revels in the messiness of her character, mocking party guests eagerly and screaming out in frustration. Yet, Akunna’s script sometimes makes her look dizzy. Lady breaks out into songs – which feel wrong within an otherwise spoken piece and her repetitive insults come out so fast, they start to tire.
Still, there is an axiomatic sadness to the play’s trajectory, which is directed by Chinonyerem Odimba. Two friends who have shared so much together have lost their way. For anyone who has ever reluctantly taken a different path from a loved one, this play will soar with relevance: a necessary division, tinged with lasting grief.
