The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

Racheal Ofori: Portrait at the Royal Festival Hall

Racheal Ofori: Portrait at the Royal Festival Hall | Theatre review
11 March 2016
Alexandra Newson
Avatar
Alexandra Newson
11 March 2016

As part of the Southbank’s WOW (Women of the World) Festival, Racheal Ofori brings her acclaimed solo show to the Royal Festival Hall. Mining her own experiences and the stereotypes that she’s often expected to embody, she presents us with a tongue-in-cheek portrait of modern life as seen through her eyes.

A writer, actor and dancer, Ofori has an impressively wide array of talents that she dazzles viewers with during her 60 minutes on stage. A vivacious performer, she effortlessly slips back and forth between characters as she explores what it means to be a black woman or girl in the world today: standing ram-rod straight and wearing spectacles, she’s an earnest academic on the cusp of studying art history at Oxford (her parents wouldn’t be down with a gap year anyway – “Your grandmother didn’t leave a third-world country so you could volunteer in one”); eyes closed, headdress on and arms in the air, she’s the loquacious pastor, preaching to her flock and extolling the need for the young to aim high and take responsibility for their own actions and achievements; then she’s the smiling young woman from Ghana, twerking her way into our hearts, whose dreams of a better life rapidly dwindle when she reaches a rainy and cold-hearted England.

Under the assured direction of Kate Hewitt (associate director on Sam Mendes’ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), each of these snapshots (and more) is brought to life by Ofori’s brilliant ear for accents and her skilful writing. Often loud-out-loud funny, the script incorporates some very clever and lyrical spoken word poetry. When the street-smart, cynical Candice (the star of the show) finally decides to lay her heart on her sleeve at her do-gooding teacher’s counselling session, the audience holds its breath. As she indignantly questions why she should go to university just to satisfy a broken system, hers is a surprisingly poetic response to an often unjust and unequal society.

Portrait introduces Ofori as a versatile and intelligent new voice. It will be interesting to see just what she does with it next.

★★★★★
 

Alexandra Newson

The Women of the World Festival is on at the Southbank Centre from 8th until 13th March 2016, for further information or to book visit here.

For further information about Rachel Ofori and future events visit here.

Related Itemsreview

More in Theatre

“Theatre is totally unique… there’s simply nothing else quite like it”: An interview with Sir Howard Panter as the new cast of Jersey Boys opens at Trafalgar Theatre

Natallia Pearmain
Read More

Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre

Natallia Pearmain
Read More

All of Us at the National Theatre

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

★★★★★
Alexandra Fletcher
Read More

Camden Fringe 2022: The Importance of Being Anxious at Museum of Comedy

★★★★★
James Humphrey
Read More

Camden Fringe 2022: Rome 3000 (Julius Caesar) at Canal Cafe Theatre

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

Tasting Notes at Southwark Playhouse

★★★★★
Mae Trumata
Read More

The Tempest at Shakespeare’s Globe

★★★★★
James Humphrey
Read More

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Gillian Lynne Theatre

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Theatre review

Alexandra Newson

Racheal Ofori: Portrait

★★★★★

Links & directions

WebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Camden Fringe 2022: Rome 3000 (Julius Caesar) at Canal Cafe Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Luck
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “The show makes you question, think about things and look into yourself. It speaks to you”: Tom Sturridge and Vivienne Acheampong on The Sandman
    Cinema & Tv
  • Nope
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eiffel
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “Theatre is totally unique… there’s simply nothing else quite like it”: An interview with Sir Howard Panter as the new cast of Jersey Boys opens at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • All of Us at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Nope
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • Luck
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • South Facing Festival: Jungle bring their signature neo-funk to Saturday night
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • “Everything that’s happened to me has brought me here”: David Leitch on Bullet Train and working with Brad Pitt
    Cinema & Tv
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Unbreakable Rope: An Exploration of Sexuality in Islam at the Free Word Centre | Exhibition review
Risen | Movie review