Jaja’s African Hair Braiding – Lyric Hammersmith

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding follows a (seemingly) average working day in the titular salon in Harlem, New York City. The play provides a beautiful glimpse into the lives of the immigrant women who work there. The play takes a journey through workplace politics, gossip, relationship drama, and so on in a manner that is both poignant and utterly hilarious.

The Tony-nominated script by Jocelyn Bioh is excellent. Bioh strikes the perfect balance between a largely naturalistic approach to both structure and dialogue, while heightening elements of the plot and the characterisation just enough to also make for compelling drama and hilarious gags. The dialogue is fantastic. The characters bounce off each other in a way that feels lively and realistic while remaining easy to follow. A lot of comedy is derived from how relatable the script is; the characters are archetypes of people everyone recognises from their own lives. The brilliant ensemble cast bring the script to life perfectly. They all have great chemistry together which ensures that the characters authentically seem like they have history together.

The standout performer is Dolapo Oni as Bea, who is a hilariously curmudgeonly character. While at times mean, cruel, and spiteful, she is also touchingly steadfast and reliable when it really counts. As a counterpoint, Jadesola also shines as the loveable, sweet, kind, and optimistic Miriam, who’s quiet demeaner hides a storied past. The script does take a detour to explicitly explain Miriam’s character and backstory, which slows the pacing and feels somewhat out of place, as the script otherwise largely “shows” rather than “tells”. However, even if slightly jarring, the scene makes for a movingly gentle reprieve from the nonstop energy of the rest of the play.

Renee Bailey, Demmy Ladipo, and Dani Moseley each also give wonderful performances, multi-roling as the various difficult customers and local characters who pop in and out of the shop throughout the day. Anyone who has ever worked in a customer-facing job will immediately recognise some of these personalities and relate to the annoyance of having to serve them. These characters coming and going really contribute to the sense that the shop and the neighbourhood is alive and lived-in, and that the play truly is a snapshot of everyday life.

Additionally, Bioh’s script’s willingness to introduce what appear to be plot setups, only to move on and ignore them, goes a long way towards making the play feel believable and authentic. In real life, problems are not solved during one single average day at work, and thus they aren’t here either. Tensions are left unresolved, allowing the audience to wonder what will happen next, and how these characters’ lives will pan out in the weeks, months, and years following the end of the play. This lack of resolution is extremely effective but also has a thematic payoff when the play reaches its emotional gut-punch of a climax, which I shan’t spoil.

The set design by Paul Wills is gorgeous; the shop is full of vibrant colour and personality, and feels lived-in, with signs of age and use. Director Monique Touko manages to skilfully keep the staging as lively as the set and script, with characters constantly on the move in a manner that feels both dynamic and natural.

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding is a play that strikes a perfect balance between seemingly conflicting factors. It’s simultaneously a hilarious comedy and a compelling drama. Simultaneously a story of everyday life and of dramatic upheaval. Simultaneously heartwarming and alarming. In conclusion, it’s simultaneously brilliant and fantastic!

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding runs until April 25^th at the Lyric Hammersmith, with tickets available at https://lyric.co.uk/shows/jajas-african-hair-braiding/

Reviewer: Charles Edward Pipe

Reviewed: 27th March 2026

North West End UK Rating: