Prison Plaits at The Tower Theatre focuses on two women of colour, Clarke, played by Michaella Moore, and Jazz, played by Megan Samuel, who has opened a hair salon available to the public. Behind bars, three unlikely entrepreneurs open a hair salon. But when one dies, the death sets a course for the others to prove their humanity and find the real killer. This investigation involves fellow inmate Regina, played by Yasmin Dawes, and Miles, played by Paul Chinkwende, the deceased's brother. This riotous who-done-it comedy-drama is a moral interrogation filled with laughter, suspense, and unexpected twists.

The cast delivers powerhouse performances, led by the dynamic duo of Michaella Moore and Megal Samuel. But Prison Plaits is more than just a gripping story, it's a powerful exploration of themes like race, gender, and mental health, delivered with intelligence and sensitivity. The play doesn't shy away from tackling tough issues, but it does so with refreshing honesty and humour.

The cast's dedication is paramount to this show's success. Shamila Sulaiman's writing tests their emotional range, from moments of sheer joy to devastation and anger. The writing is well-informed and powerful. The script allowed scenes to ebb and flow, maintaining audience engagement and interest, leading to plot twists that gained audible gasps and reactions from the audience. Director Aaliyah McKay utilised the intimate space of The Tower Theatre well and drew the audience directly into the prison-cell-style set. Blending between scenes and working closely with Sulaiman's writing, the transitions were often a refreshing spark through a change of lighting or a fade to black to move on. In some instances, the direction felt cinematic, as if the audience was watching a TV drama unfold live before their eyes.

Yasmin Dawes plays Regina, who self-identifies as a character with "Dissociative Identity Disorder, among other things", and creates an extremely impressive, believable and honest performance. The constant strain of this role was not unnoticed and was an impressive must-see performance.

Moore and Samuel carry the show on their shoulders as strong-willed, entrepreneurial women of colour fighting for justice for their friend. Their chemistry is electric as they navigate the complexities of friendship, grief, and the pursuit of justice.  Moore plays the mother missing her child with heart-breaking beauty next to the contrast of Samuel, who had lost her mother too soon.

Paul Chinkwende provides a great sounding board throughout the play and acts as a catalyst for some of the central drama. Chinkwende sensitively handles the topics of grief and righteousness and delivers an impressive performance. Part of this is aided by Arly Ifenedo, who multi-roled throughout the second act by primarily playing a detestable villain whose off-centre moral compass was well highlighted and displayed an exciting contrast to the convicted women. 

Various mental health discussions and conversation starters were effortlessly included in casual conversation. This was great to see and showcased a vital theme of the show: to judge people as people, to see others as you see yourself. Especially in a modern society, the normalisation of mental health issues and discussion was terrific to see. 

The topic of race cannot be ignored in this play, which highlights systemic errors in the UK system and particularly brings to the forefront the lack of positive representation for women of colour. Part of the play highlights the inherited white privilege that prison guard Carlos, played by Douglas Wood, receives in the legal system and pinpoints how concrete evidence is required to convict white people, but being black is convicting enough. Prison Plaits directly comments on the injustice and draws parallels to real-life stories to confront audiences and interrogate their morals. Wood’s character evolves throughout the play and is one to watch.

As a hard-of-hearing reviewer, it is essential to highlight ableism in a show. Equally, it is as, if not more, important to assign credit where it is due. During Act 1, a common ableist phrase is uttered when asked to repeat themselves, and the response "seeing as you're hard of hearing" is used as an insult. While some could argue this was unnecessary and something else that doesn't place a disability as an insult could have been used, I felt that contextually, these convicts are in a heightened environment, and preferred terms wouldn’t be appropriate. Therefore, it's also important to acknowledge the use of "hard of hearing" over "deaf", which shows me a clear choice to de-escalate the insult and deliberately choose an appropriate phrase. It is a testament to Shamila Sulaiman to take so much consideration into the language being used in this play, and the writing must be admired for this.

The show is a masterclass in balancing humour and heart-wrenching drama. With razor-sharp dialogue, unforgettable characters, and unexpected plot twists, Prison Plaits is a must-see for anyone who loves a good mystery and desires to see more representation of women of colour on our stages!

This show was reviewed on August 3rd, 2024, at The Tower Theatre, London, where it sold out its run until August 4th, 2024. The show is actively looking for producers to put on another run.

Review written by Ryan Lenney

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