School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh - ★★★★☆

1986, Aburi, Ghana, the setting for Jocelyn Bioh’s, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, and home for Ama, Mercy, Eloise, Gifty, Nana, Paulina and new student Ericka as they board together in Aburi’s most prestigious school.

As with most schools, there is a social order - Aburi’s own dictated and relentlessly enforced by queen bee Paulina, who rules with an iron fist. Her posse includes Mercy (Bola Akeju), Mercy’s cousin and side-kick Gifty (Francesca Amewudah-Rivers), strong-willed Ama (Heather Agyepong), and the sweetest and meekest of the group, Nanna (Jadesola Odunjo)

Paulina’s authority goes relatively unchallenged. She keeps the girls somewhat at bay with tales of cousins in America, designer dresses, her footballer boyfriend Kofi, and in Nana’s case, diet control. With the looming arrival of the Miss Ghana pageant recruit, she plans to further cement position not only as school leader, but hopefully as Miss Ghana 1986.

However, her plans are thrown into disarray with the arrival of Ericka, their new ‘fancy’ Ghanian American student who brings “music and lotions and makeup”, lighter skin, and naturally long hair. The girls all swoon over Ericka, a mix of fascination and admiration - except Paulina who views Erika as nothing more than a potential threat to her rule.

With preparations underway for the arrival of recruiter Eloise’s (Deborah Alli), tensions rise, and a divide forms between the group, with Paulina and Ericka at the centre of the friction.

Bioh’s School Girls are a wonderful and welcome mix of personalities, and under Touko’s sharp direction they form a boisterous, hilarious, and for the most part loveable group of school girls.

Mercy and Gifty are a comedic and joyful duo, with Bola Akeju (Mercy) especially, sending waves of laughter throughout the audience, with her hilarious one-liners, and general demeanour. Tara Tijani is the ultimate mean girl, with no opportunity missed to either brag or put the girls down. However, in all her meanness, it’s clear that Paulina's hardened shell is a defence mechanism, a consequence of insecurity and self-preservation.

In addition to the School Girls, the cast is further strengthened by ‘has been’ pageant recruiter, Eloise (Deborah Ali) who sashes across the stage with garish outfits that we hate to love. And, matriarch and Headmistress Francis (Alison A Addo) who has put her life and soul into the Aburi boarding school.

In all its hilarity, School Girls also offers an honest commentary on colorism and western beauty standards, and its impact on adolescent girls trying to find their place in the world. Bioh’s discussion of this is authentic, and measured, and, on stage, we see in practicality how these ideas permeate the girls self-esteem and general sense of self.

The ending of School Girls was somewhat abrupt, but it seems intentional. Bioh leaves us with an important message, that we hope the audience is cognisant of.

There’s so much joy and beauty in School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls play. Not only for the novelty and simple pleasure of seeing 8 Black women on stage (many with natural hair styles) but for the endless laughter, authenticity, and above all, an insanely talented cast.

You can catch School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls at Lyric Hammersmith until 15 July.