Production images released for GIRLS at the Young Vic

Shehrazade Zafar-Arif 27 October, 2026, 11:50

The Young Vic has released first-look production images for Girls, now playing at the Maria Theatre.

Hannah Akhalu, Tara Tijani and Sewa Zamba in Girls (credit Helen Murray)

Ewa Dina (The Welsh Dragon), winner of the 2026 JMK Award, makes her Young Vic debut directing Theresa Ikoko's (Rocks) award-winning play Girls, winner of the Alfred Fagon Award (2015), the George Devine Award (2016), and a finalist for the Verity Bargate Award.

Based on true events, Girls paints a devastating picture of the 2014 military insurrection in Nigeria from the perspective of three teenage girls who are kidnapped by Boko Haram along with hundreds of other girls. Now best friends Tisana, Haleema, and Ruha must rely on each other to survive, but fear and religious differences begin straining their friendship and their hope for escape.

The cast includes Hannah Akhalu (Cinderella, Rose Theatre; Every Leaf a Hallelujah, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) as Tisana, Tara Tijani (Beauty or Beast? A series of interviews, Young Vic; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Globe) as Haleema and Sewa Zamba (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Lyric Hammersmith; Shakespeare with Dame Judi Dench, The Mill at Sonning) as Ruhab.

The three lead actresses can be seen in these newly released production photos, as well as Raphae Memon's vividly conceptualised set design, which includes Nigerian red sand, a row of television screens providing a portal to the outside world, and representations of dried hibiscus flowers suspended above the action.

Girls is playing at the Young Vic until 21 November, with a press night tonight (27 October).