Headlining Calm Down Dear, an annual festival of feminist theatre at Camden People’s Theatre, is Racheal Ofori’s likable and refreshingly candid one-woman show. So Many Reasons introduces us to Melissa, a British-Ghanaian millennial who wants to take control of her body.
Growing up is always hard to do, but for pious Christian teenager Melissa it proves particularly tough. She transforms from a child accused of being a lesbian because she could run fast into a disillusioned young woman, pinned like a butterfly by the expectations of Ghanaian and western culture and by her religion.
Her wings are clipped, too, by the beady-eyed gaze of her mother and God, the latter standing in for all the men who watch her, beginning with the creepy “uncle” who tries to wrest a bucket of water from her. Melissa refuses to let it go, but standing her ground comes at a price: a bucket that is only half-full.
Tanya Stephenson’s clever design offers a simple neon image in which a mango tree, Christ, the virgin Mary and vagina are entwined – a visual puzzle that neatly reflects Melissa’s confusions. Ofori is a hugely engaging performer: we watch Melissa negotiating a crush on the boy in the church choir, sexual taunts at school, family shame and a Brazilian wax that goes awry.
A lot of this observational comedy is the stuff of standup sets, and the evening has a skit-like format. That can make it feel slight and disjointed, but the message it conveys is clear: a woman’s body is her own to use as she desires.
• So Many Reasons is at Camden People’s theatre, London, until 3 February. Then touring. Calm Down Dear festival runs until 4 February. Box office: 020-7419 4841.
• This article was amended on 22 January 2018 to correct the name of the play’s designer.
