The Young Vic has released first-look rehearsal images for Girls, Theresa Ikoko’s acclaimed drama set to run in the theatre’s intimate Maria Theatre from 22 October to 21 November.
Directed by 2026 JMK Award winner Ewa Dina, Girls explores friendship under extraordinary circumstances and was previously recognised with the Alfred Fagon Award in 2015 and the George Devine Award in 2016, as well as being a finalist for the Verity Bargate Award.
Set in Nigeria in 2014, the play follows teenage best friends Tisana, Haleema and Ruha, whose lives are transformed when they are kidnapped by militant insurgents and forced into an uncertain future. As fear and religious differences begin to test their bond, the production examines how friendship can endure in the face of unimaginable adversity.
The cast features Hannah Akhalu as Tisana, Tara Tijani as Haleema and Sewa Zamba as Ruhab.
The production includes set and costume design by Raphaé Memon, lighting design by Elliott Griggs, composition by féz, sound design by Munotida Chinyanga, movement direction by dkfash, video design and programming by Sophie Bramley, and fight and intimacy direction by Haruka Kuroda.
At the heart of the play is the haunting line: “They leave a trail of fire and flesh. If they followed it – if somebody followed the stench – they would find us”.
Girls opens at the Young Vic’s Maria Theatre on 22 October, with a press night scheduled for 27 October.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
