Young Vic play explores friendship among girls abducted by Boko Haram
Theresa Ikoko’s play *Girls*, at London’s Young Vic, follows three Nigerian schoolgirls held captive in a forest by Boko Haram. Recalling the 2014 Chibok abductions, it shows how friendship, humour and imagination help the teenagers endure extreme misogynist violence.
Haleema plans to escape, Ruhab adapts to her captors, and Tisana retreats into fantasy while being punished for refusing prayers. The production uses radios, screens, lighting and sound to create an unsettling atmosphere, though abrupt scene changes and an unexplained final image weaken parts of it. The review describes the play as imaginative and affecting, noting that around 90 Chibok girls are still believed to be missing.
In short
- Three Nigerian schoolgirls try to endure Boko Haram captivity.
- The play pairs extreme violence with the girls’ friendship and humour.
- Around 90 Chibok girls are still believed to be missing.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Girls review – a story of friendship amidst extreme misogynist violence”.