Sleepova by Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini - ★★★★☆

Popcorn, sleepovers, feather boas and whining. Group chats, Nicki Minaj, sermons and results day. Crushes, 419, time-capsules and selfies. Laughter, fights, lessons and sisterhood.

Sleepova opens and we meet Shan, (Aliyah Odoffin) Funmi, (Bukky Bakray) Elle (Shayde Sinclair) and Rey (Amber Grappy) as one-by-one they file into Shan’s bedroom for her 16th birthday sleepover. With the house to themselves, armed with popcorn, haribo's and a borrowed laptop, the girls are ready to celebrate and enjoy their first ever sleepover - although Elle's dad is picking her up at midnight.

As the play unfolds we follow the girls through their highs, from Prom to university visits, and their lows - with each of the girls going through their fair share, the most explored being Shan’s struggle with sickle cell. Aliyah Odoffin handles this role with care. She authentically portrays the realities of living with a long term health condition, but always brings light back into the room with humour and energy.

Sleepova is full of relatable Black cultural references (think ice-cream and stew), a healthy dose of yoruba and some bible verses for good luck - it really is a breath of fresh air. Seeing four Black women on stage shouldn’t be a novel affair, but it’s not something we see often - and we appreciate Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini for writing her characters with range, depth and nuance.

We have our ‘resident pastor’ Elle, who battles with conflicts between her beliefs and identity, never-single Shan, ever hilarious Funmi and Rey who is full of life, and proudly queer. Together, they are a super talented cast, with a particularly impressive performance from Aliyah Odoffin, and Bukky Bakray who shows just why she was named EE’s Rising Star in 2021.

The set was simple, but thoughtfully designed with plenty of room for expression and movement. The versatility of the space meant that the scenes seamlessly flowed between bedrooms, school halls, and hospital wards.

Sleepover is a contemporary love-letter to Black girls. A nostalgic, affectionate and hilarious portrayal of sisterhood and coming of age. With a consistent programming of diverse, relevant and impressive shows - theatre of the year (Stage Awards, 2023) is a title they more than deserve.

You can catch Sleepova at the Bush Theatre until 08 April.