Our Stories Our Motherland

Our Stories Our Motherland, presented by The Outsiders and State of Play, as part of FringeWorld. Playing for just two nights, in one of FringeWorld’s biggest venues, this touching and well-presented show deserved a bigger audience.

Primarily a poetic piece, it is presented by three African women with a beautiful countenance and excellent rapport, who not only perform but authored the work. Excellent writing and delivery by Abak Lual, Vuma Phiri and Nidal Saeed.

The women, strikingly dressed in white, recite poems and tell stories of the strength of African women’s heritage, resistance and female power, moving with grace on a set that evokes African domesticity. They are supported by audio visuals with exquisite imagery.

While this show felt gently paced, it never lagged, and while it highlighted the struggles faced by African women and women of African heritage, the overall mood is uplifting and inspiring.

Our Stories Our Motherland was a heartwarming and beautiful celebration of culture.

Kimberley Shaw