HOT BROWN HONEY

Briefs Factory

Southbank Centre, London

24-30 July 2018

'After a long hard day of decolonising and moisturising…'

Hot Brown Honey is one show that has crossed over the diversity tipping point – you know, the one that has the theatre and screen industries wringing their hands and saying, ‘what do we do, what do we do’? They are way, way ahead of the rest of us in addressing the under-representation and stereotypes of Black women and the impact it has upon them. ‘These are our stories’, these Black women from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the UK tell us. We should start running to catch up. Or dancing. The audience agrees and are on their feet cheering throughout the show.

The Hot Brown Honeys are highly skilled performers. The show has some extraordinary burlesque and circus numbers with songs (Ola Futu) and beatboxing (Hope Haami) and some enormous boobs thrown in, and sometimes it feels like a perfect Edinburgh Fringe experience in London - and that is very good thing. Every single number is laugh out loud funny. The show is directed by Lisa Fa’alafi who also performs and is held together by DJ Busty Beatz who is the Queen Bee at the peak of a giant glowing golden hive - a disco booth in the coolest club ever.

I can’t remember a better hoop act than the one that explodes onto the stage here to express a badly behaved Australian abroad, performed by Crystal Stacey. Elena Wangurra’s dance act that begins with her almost strangled in an Australian flag dress culminates with the Aboriginal flag held high, a pose that remains as potent as when Cathy Freeman held that same flag at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Lisa Fa’alafi is wonderful as the Polynesian pin-up girl who comes to life, ‘weaving’ her way through a cheeky reverse strip tease. Special effects here involve the creative use of a leaf-blower (This may actually be something I do try at home.) There was even a death metal scene with headbanging and hair everywhere. I give thanks for the wacky imagination that came up with that perfect blend.

But it’s the serious heart of the show that will stay with me. Busty Beatz's powerful lines such as Did you study the history of your ancestors at school? Don’t touch my hair and You are not the maid! reminds us just how rare it is to see Black women on stage actually playing Black women. Decolonise. Moisturise. You are not the maid!

I couldn’t get enough of Hot Brown Honey and went to see it twice.

See it twenty more times at Edinburgh Fringe.

Theatre: Hot Brown Honey

HOT BROWN HONEY