Appearing on stage in front of a draped red curtain, Temi Wilkey’sLover Girl is tantalisingly cheeky from the outset. She tells us she’s single and unlucky in love, but she’s hoping this show can change that; confident audience flirtation follows.
We’re soon introduced to the concept of her ‘Infinity Pussy’, a physical embodiment of her queerness and sexual freedom. The show starts as a typical stand-up routine in which Wilkey laments the perils of dating (believe it or not, women are somehow worse than men), but it soon becomes something much more absurd and theatrical. Ushered in by some hilariously grotesque suction sounds and Wilkey bundling herself in a red tulle cape, the Infinity Pussy comes to life and takes over the narrative.
Somehow, none of this ever feels vulgar, and that’s a testament to Wilkey’s irresistible charm and undeniable likeability. She exudes a warmth and breeziness that lets the material land with just the right level of crudeness, and she’s a constantly engaging presence on stage.
As a dramatic device, the Infinity Pussy allows Wilkey to recount her experiences from a third-person perspective, heightening the comedy and giving us a closer look at what led her to identify as a self-professed ‘lover girl’. These moments are often accompanied by Wilkey’s renditions of classic R&B anthems, which are endearing, but don’t always enhance the comedy or storytelling. In a more tender scene at the end of the show, Wilkey also plays a physical manifestation of her heart. Bruised and closed-off, it’s a stark contrast to the floaty and sprawling embodiment of her sexuality and adds a welcome level of vulnerability to the proceedings.
Ragevan Vasan’s direction works perfectly with Wilkey’s effortless charisma, and the result is a very funny 60 minutes that cements this lover girl as a star on the rise.
Temi Wilkey: Lover Girl plays at Soho Theatre until 21st November. Tickets are available to buy at:https://sohotheatre.com/
Reviewer: Olivia Cox
Reviewed: 4th November 2026
North West End UK Rating:
Opening the Croydonites Festival of New Theatre, Hannah Maxwell's one-woman show, Turn Your F*cking Phones…
Few historical events have embedded themselves in popular culture quite like the sinking of RMS…
With plenty of suspenseful twists and turns, Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap’ creeps into the Sheffield…
Alexandra Shaw has written a puzzling play. We meet two young couples Francis and Jonah…
“If we can’t laugh at misfortune, what else can we laugh at?” And laugh we…
Bearing in mind the gravity of the situation that called for this outrageous 1943 wartime…