Girls Review: Friendship Endures Amid Boko Haram Horror 2026

In Theresa Ikoko's Girls, now at a London stage, three Nigerian schoolgirls held captive by Boko Haram cling to friendship as extreme misogynist violence threatens to consume them. The play, directed by Ewa Dina, is a harrowing yet tender look at resilience in the face of unimaginable terror.

The Setup: A Post-Apocalyptic Vision

Three girls huddle together, playing childish games to allay their fears from whatever terror stalks them. There are flashes of light and sounds, followed by sudden blackouts. At first, the play appears post-apocalyptic, with television screens lining the back wall and radio frequencies tuning in and out. A strange structure looms overhead, adding to the sense of unease.

Information about who they are, where they are hiding, and who they are hiding from is parceled out gradually. We learn that they are three Nigerian friends and schoolgirls living in a forest in 2015. Their captors are never named, but from the breadcrumbs of backstory, we infer they are part of the insurgent Islamist group Boko Haram.

Director's Note Makes the Context Explicit

Director Ewa Dina makes this explicit in her programme note when she refers to the Chibok Girls, involving Boko Haram's mass abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014. These three girls, we realize, are being held hostage in a camp, forced to convert to Islam with rumors that they might be sent out as suicide bombers or fighters.

They speak of not feeling like children any more, of seeing their homes destroyed, watching a woman being trampled to death, the smell of burning human flesh, and of the corpses lying in the well nearby. They tell each other childhood stories of a mythic forest god, yet feel the absence of such a deity in their damned corner of the forest.

Friendship as a Lifeline

But they also laugh, play childish games, and tease each other. The friendship between the three girls is the beating heart of the play. Ikoko's script gives each girl a distinct personality: there is the pragmatic leader, the dreamer, and the joker. Their interactions are by turns funny, heartbreaking, and deeply human.

In one scene, they debate what they would do if they were men, revealing their fears and hopes. In another, they reenact a Nigerian folk tale, finding solace in storytelling. These moments of levity are not mere relief; they are acts of defiance against their captors, who seek to strip them of their identities.

Performances That Linger

The three actors deliver performances of remarkable nuance. They navigate the extreme emotional shifts with skill, never allowing the horror to overwhelm the humanity. The chemistry between them is palpable, making their bond believable and deeply moving.

The set design, with its flickering screens and oppressive structure, creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that mirrors the girls' psychological state. The sound design, too, is effective, with the radio frequencies serving as a constant reminder of the outside world's indifference.

Why It Matters

Ikoko's play is not just a story of victimhood; it is a story of survival and resistance. It gives voice to the voiceless, humanizing the victims of Boko Haram's atrocities. In doing so, it challenges us to see beyond the headlines and to recognize the individual lives behind the statistics. The background to this story is set out in Big Girls Don't Cry Review: A Tender New Zealand Coming-of-Age Tale. A related thread runs through For Colored Girls Review: A Choreopoem of Sisterhood on Stage.

The play also highlights the misogyny at the heart of such violence. The girls are targeted because they are girls, because they seek education, because they refuse to be silenced. Their friendship becomes a form of resistance, a way to hold onto their humanity in a system designed to dehumanize them. Earlier coverage in School Girls Broadway Review: African Mean Girls Play Triumphs shows how the argument developed. A closer look at the same subject appears in Celebrity: latest articles.

What to Watch Next

If you are moved by Girls, you might be interested in other works that explore friendship and resilience. For Dolores Review: Obsessive Friendship and Desire on Stage offers a different take on intense female relationships, while Courtney Büchner's One of the Girls Review: A Rollercoaster Friendship examines the ups and downs of companionship.

These works, like Girls, demonstrate the power of friendship to sustain us in the darkest times. They remind us that even in the face of extreme misogynist violence, connection and solidarity can prevail. Anyone following the wider picture can start with The Master Builder Review: False Swagger and Queasy Infidelity. The same theme surfaces in Cynthia Erivo on Prima Facie and Sexual Assault Consent, which takes a different angle.

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