Lyric life

• AWARD-WINNING WRITER JOCELYN BIOH’S HIT COMEDY SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY EXTENDS ITS RUN DUE TO INCREDIBLE DEMAND. THE SHOW WILL NOW PLAY UNTIL SATURDAY 22 JULY. TICKETS ON SALE NOW LYRIC.CO.UK

• HAILED BY CRITICS AND AUDIENCES ALIKE AS ‘ONE OF THE FUNNIEST SHOWS IN LONDON’, THE PRODUCTION CELEBRATED ITS UK PREMIERE AT THE LYRIC ON 14 JUNE AND OPENED TO RAVE REVIEWS

★★★★★ ‘THE FUNNIEST THING ON STAGE THIS SUMMER’ The Independent
★★★★ ‘A SMASHING 80 MINUTES IN THE THEATRE’ WhatsOnStage
★★★★ ‘A TONIC AND JOY INJECTION’ Evening Standard
★★★★ ‘BITINGLY FUNNY’ Guardian
★★★★ ‘COMPLETELY INFECTIOUS’ Time Out
★★★★ ‘BRIMMING WITH HILARITY’ The Stage
★★★★ ‘A FANTASTIC ENSEMBLE’ Broadway World

• THIS EXTENSION BUILDS ON THE LYRIC’S RECENT SELL OUT SUCCESSES (IPHIGENIA IN SPLOTT AND ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST – OPENING IN THE WEST END THIS WEEK) WITH ARTISTIC DIRECTOR RACHEL O’RIORDAN’S EXHILARATING PROGRAMMING SET TO CONTINUE WITH A MAJOR REVIVAL OF THE MULTI-AWARD WINNING GOD OF CARNAGE THIS AUTUMN.

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre are pleased to announce that the smash hit School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh will extend its run until Saturday 22 July.

The UK premiere of the production, directed by Stage Award winner, Monique Touko, opened at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre on 14 June to critical acclaim. Earlier this year, Idris Elba joined the project as an Associate Producer and together with Jocelyn Bioh continue their ambition to further shine a light on Ghanaian stories and West African representation in the UK.

School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play brings together an 8-strong cast including Alison A Addo (The Lion King – Disney), Heather Agyepong (The Power – Amazon Prime), Bola Akeju (Ted Lasso – Apple TV), Deborah Alli (Undercover – BBC), Francesca Amewudah-Rivers (Bad Education – BBC), Jadesola Odunjo (You – Netflix), Anna Shaffer (The Witcher – Netflix), and Tara Tijani (Death in Paradise – BBC).

The Set Design is by Paul Wills, Costume Design by Kinnetia Isidore, Wigs, Hair and Make-up Design by Cynthia De La Rosa, Lighting Design by Matt Haskins, Sound Design by Tony Gayle; Movement and Choreography by Aline David, and Casting by Julia Horan CDG.

This production is produced in association with Mark Gordon Pictures and Francesca Moody Productions.

1986. Ghana’s prestigious Aburi Girls Boarding School. Queen Bee Paulina and her crew excitedly await the arrival of the Miss Ghana pageant recruiter. It’s clear that Paulina is in top position to take the title until her place is threatened by Ericka – a beautiful and talented new transfer student. As the friendship group’s status quo is upended, who will be chosen for Miss Ghana and at what cost?

Bursting with hilarity and joy, this award-winning comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls around the world.

Biography

Jocelyn Bioh (Writer) is an award-winning Ghanaian-American writer/performer from New York City. Her written works for theatre include Merry Wives (Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park, PBS Great Performances), Nollywood (MCC Theater), Goddess The Musical (Berkeley Rep) and the multi-award-winning School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play which was originally produced at MCC Theater in 2017/2018 and has gone on to have nearly 60 regional productions in the USA. She will make her Broadway debut as a playwright with the world première of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding at Manhattan Theatre Club in the fall of 2023. She is a former TOW playwriting fellow (2017) and has been commissioned by MTC, Atlantic Theater Co., Williamstown Theatre Festival and Second Stage. Jocelyn has also written for TV on Russian Doll, Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, the new Hulu series Tiny Beautiful Things, the upcoming new Star Wars series The Acolyte and is also writing the live screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Once On This Island for Disney+. She was the 2022 recipient of the Outstanding Adaptation Drama Desk Award.