The performance space at the Traverse Theatre has been turned into a ladies toilet in a Glasgow nightclub. Towards the back of the stage, 3 cubicle doors can be seen. Muffled music is playing in the background and a downbeat Nigerian toilet attendant named Tolu (superbly played by Sabina Cameron) is sorting out her products. Tolu perks up when party goers enter the bathroom and fix their makeup. She compliments the clubbers but this goes unnoticed as they are not interested in speaking to an attendant.
Expensive Shit is written and directed by Adura Onashile. The story takes many twists and turns throughout and transports the audience to Nigeria and the toilets of a very different nightclub. In The Shrine nighclub the ladies dance for their freedom and to impress activist and Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti. This produces excellent dance sequences from Cameron and her fellow performers Teri Ann Bobb Baxter, Jamie Marie Leary and Diana Yekinni. The four actors complement one another and present a seamless transition from two very different locations. The two stories work in parallel and underline the brilliance in Adura Onashile’s abilities as a writer and director.
Men are physically absent from the performance, but during the dramatic conclusion we learn that several leering eyes have had a close watch on the ladies all along. This adds to the gripping and sinister hard hitting drama and keeps the audience guessing on how the story will conclude.
Expensive Shit is part of the Made in Scotland Showcase 2016. This series of Fringe performances champions new and original work from Scotland. Expensive Shit definitely deserves its place in this programme. It covers a lot of ground and raises several important questions, while keeping the audience entertained.