It would be a mistake to dismiss Sense of Belonging as an African version of The Vagina Monologues: this choreopoem on female circumcision is much more urgent, serious and honest than anything you will find in Eve Ensler's overhyped show. None the less, there are similarities in the way that they use individual testimony for dramatic effect and theatre as a forum for consciousness-raising.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a widespread problem, with an estimated 130 million women having undergone the procedure. It is believed that, every year, up to 15,000 girls are at risk of FGM in the UK.
Sense of Belonging takes place in Nigeria during a break in an inquiry into FGM. A group of women who have gathered to give testimony are finding it impossible to speak until one young woman breaks her silence to tell of her tragic family history of FGM that left its blight on three generations. If FGM is practised as a traditional attempt at creating a sense of belonging to a community, then this play shows the women forging a new community as they share their pain and stories.
FGM hardly seems like a subject to make a song and dance about, but Chuck Mike's production succeeds in creating the beat of drums and hearts as it tells the women's terrible stories of mutilation. The singing and dancing lifts the evening above the worthy and the performances are strong throughout. But the production and script fail to give enough background about FGM and its cultural context to be really helpful (the programme offers a little more information) and the central story, told in flashback, is very difficult to follow.
The piece finally redeems itself when the women find their voices and shared sisterhood in an uplifting finale, but overall this feels like a heartfelt education project rather than fully fledged drama.
· Until July 26. Box office: 020-7503 1646.
