By Ava Griffiths, Brixton Blog and Bugle contributor
STARS: An Afrofuturist Space Odyssey is a one woman play about Mrs (played by Debra Michaels), an older woman navigating a deeply personal and long-ignored part of her life; she has never experienced an orgasm.
Brushed off by her GP with vague diagnoses of menopause or even early dementia, her struggle is met with silence and misunderstanding. The play invites the audience on a touching, humorous, and often poignant journey as Mrs embarks on a quest for self-discovery and sexual awakening.
Along the way, she forms unlikely connections: Maryam, mostly called Mary, a bright, inquisitive young girl from her estate; a no-nonsense northern lesbian she meets at the laundrette who becomes her lover; and her friend Maxi, an intersex character who steals the scene with their sharp wit and infectious humour including the line “free your behind and your mind will follow”.
Ultimately, the play explores the complex and often fraught relationship between people and their bodies, shaped by societal expectations, cultural norms, and the lingering scars of gendered violence. While Mrs is a humorous and endearing presence on stage, it quickly becomes clear that her life has been marked by control and trauma, most notably at the hands of her late husband. Mrs struggles are further compounded by the judgment and shame imposed by an evangelical church community that offered condemnation rather than compassion, placing the blame for her circumstances squarely on her shoulders.
Then comes Maryam, a young girl who forms a tender bond with Mrs. She’s fascinated by the stars and dreams of escaping into space, a dream that, as the play unfolds, reveals itself as a desire to flee the pain she carries here on Earth. Maryam is living with the trauma of female genital mutilation, a practice rooted in the cultural traditions of her community. Her pain is raw and ever-present, yet she’s torn, every woman in her family has undergone the same experience. While Mrs is clear in her outrage, insisting it is not right, Maryam wrestles with the contradiction between the suffering she endures and the love and loyalty she feels toward her own mother and culture. It’s a powerful and thought-provoking portrayal of cultural conflict, generational trauma, and bodily autonomy.
While all of this unfolds on stage, Mrs’ son, Michael Manners (a successful radio host played by Bradley Charles), holds down a DJ booth off to the side, spinning an Afrofuturist soundtrack that moves seamlessly from Sun Ra to Funkadelic. It’s a brilliant touch, maintaining a steady pulse of soft yet edgy beats that subtly shape the mood. Behind the stage, intricate black and white animations immerse the audience in cosmic beliefs rooted in African ancestral mythology, most strikingly, the Nommo, fish-like beings believed to have descended from the star Sirius in ancient times. This Afrofuturist thread, blending space and African mythology, adds a compelling layer of depth to the production. And when Jamila Woods’ voice cuts through, “Just ’cause I’m born here, don’t mean I’m from here”, the connection between past, place, and planet lands with quiet force.
Overall, STARS: An Afrofuturist Space Odyssey delivers an hour and 20 minutes of laughter, insight, and thought-provoking storytelling. It explores a range of complex themes that stay with you long after you leave the theatre.
On from now until the 28th of June 2025 at Brixton House, do not miss your chance to experience it.
BOOK NOW: https://brixtonhouse.co.uk/shows/stars/
Winner of ‘Best New Play’ at the Offies 2024.
A co-production with Tamasha and Brixton House https://tamasha.org.uk/ Tamasha is a dedicated home for both emerging and established Global Majority artists.
