Rating:★★★★☆
Hosted by Utopia Theatre, ẸBỌ (The Offering) is written by Bimbo Olorunmola and performed by Tosin Adeyemi. A self-funded work in progress that began its journey in Abuja, Nigeria and has begun its UK journey in Sheffield.
Simi captures our attention from the start, offering versions of herself to people she interacts with throughout her life. No one version is her full self as she sits in her bedroom getting ready to attend her best friend’s wedding. From the persona she portrays on social media to how she is treated in her job role; she devotes all her attention and energy to being the best she can be. This is met with hollow compliments such as being ‘irreplaceable’ and ‘invaluable’ while clearly seeing that actions speak louder.
After she receives a message from Kemi, the bride-to-be, the audience is invited to share in the unravelling of Simi’s reflection of what she has given of herself to those around her. The imbalance of how much she has given with very little in return. The series of monologues is performed as streams of consciousness, with the audience spoken to as if invited to answer the questions posed by Simi.
Tosin portrayed Simi as someone who felt like a friend or older sister you could relate to or see yourself in a situation similar to Simi’s. The authenticity of much of what she is going through, both regarding the wedding as the catalyst and the reflections on past interactions, resonates deeply with many people’s everyday lives. The only time we see Simi being her true self is in that bedroom, with no phone in her hand and no one else in the room. She allows herself to freely show the complexity of her emotions and how this has been wearing away at her for some time.
An interesting point in the play is that Simi is discussing Dele, a former romantic partner whose relationship ended because their careers required them to be in different countries. This was portrayed as an interaction that, although she had come to terms with, she had not resolved. She keeps a room that she routinely visits and describes it as ‘not being a wound, but an open door’. This was a very poignant part of the play, considering that Simi expresses how many people in her life think they know what is best for her, both now and in the future. The decision to keep the space open is made solely by and for her. The understanding that in reality you do not have everything solved, that questions, thoughts, and feelings can be left open and unresolved, was extremely relatable both while watching and after the performance.
This was an intimate performance that gave voice to the thought processes many people go through in today’s society. It was thoroughly enjoyable and sparked many a conversation afterwards. With the understanding that there are more monologues that could be added to the performance, it will be very exciting to see where this play goes next.
