Winner of a 2016 Fringe First Award, Adura Onashile’s Expensive Shit comes to Soho Theatre. Adura both wrote and directs the production.
In the toilets of the Shrine nightclub in Lagos, young dancer Tolu dreams of being picked to join the revolutionary band of musician Fela Kuti.
Now, decades later, she’s a toilet attendant in a Glasgow nightclub, servicing drunken revelers and taking tips from men looking for a cheap thrill.
But all that glitters isn’t gold and when a line is crossed Tolu must choose between truth and power.
An all female Black cast star in the Fringe First award winning play full of wry humour and euphoric dance. Splicing the story of the Shimmy club – prosecuted in 2013 for allowing male patrons to watch the women’s toilets through a ‘spy mirror’ – with flashbacks to the infamous Shrine nightclub in 1980s Lagos, this is an Afrobeat-filled exploration of freedom, power and exploitation.
‘An important truth told with formidable force through dance, music and fast-moving dialogue.’
★★★★ Scotsman
‘A heart-rending and twisted, yet laugh-out-loud funny triumph’.
★★★★★ To Do List
‘Providing some powerful messages about gender politics and life’s inevitable disappointments.’
★★★★ British Theatre Guide
‘A play with a strong message and a powerful cast.’
★★★★ Edinburgh Festivals Magazine