Dishonour | Mimi Ndiweni

Aug 6-30 | On Demand | Fringe Player | Learn More About Dishonour

A one-woman show exploring the realities of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the present-day UK.

I need to begin by saying WOW! Mimi Ndiweni performs this show superbly taking on the roles of all characters within the production. Each character is clearly distinguished with their own nuances, accents and postures in a way that allows the narrative to flow seamlessly engrossing the audience into the action.

From the 5-year-old girl who is blissfully unaware of the dark truth’s of the world, to her father who outwardly campaigns against female circumcision, to his mother who has grown up unwavering in the beliefs and customs of her tribal culture, each one is well rounded and believable.

Terrence Turner’s storytelling is so compelling as we switch from a radio interview in which the father is openly campaigning against the practice of FGM to the kidnap of his daughter to have the ritual performed on her.

I would love to see a sequel exploring the aftermath of the event discussing the cultural divide between the characters and creating a clearer understanding of all viewpoints.

A must watch, but not an easy watch.  

The Arts Business Top Tips:

• If you find yourself a remarkable performer like Mimi Ndiweni to play all the roles in a script like this one, it can be more powerful a statement than having a full cast. Not only is it more cost-effective but from a design aesthetic it works leaving audience gripped to every word of the narrative.

• The minimalist staging choices, for example, using limited props, instead miming items with well-timed sound effects mean this show can be taken anywhere, into any venue with a small team making it not only cheap to tour but more accessible to smaller communities who need to be educated in FGM.

• FGM is still practised today worldwide but I’ll be the first to admit I know very little about it. Shows like this one are so important and can be used to inform and create a wider understanding of important topics. When creating work from scratch you may want to think about if there are any causes you are passionate about and would like to raise awareness for, taking this show as inspiration.