JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING will return to London in 2027

Created by writer Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play; Merry Wives) and director Monique Touko (Wedding Band; Marie and Rosetta) - the team behind the smash hit School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play - Jaja's African Hair Braiding first premiered on Broadway in 2023 before embarking on a US tour the following year. It won two Tony Awards and was nominated for six and received eight nominations that year across the Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Jaja's is a bustling braiding salon in Harlem, New York, run by a lively, cheerful team of West African expert stylists, immigrants who've brought with them generations of braiding traditions. The play follows this group of women over the course of one hot summer day, filled with laughter, shared secrets, angry customers, betrayals - and above all, a collection of dreams that increasingly pit them against the city they love and call home.

The play had its UK premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre on 18 March 2026 and ran until 25 April. Read our review of Jaja's African Hair Braiding and find out what other critics thought in our review round-up.

Director Monique Touko expressed her excitement about the play's return to the UK due to popular demand, saying, "Round two at Lyric Hammersmith is testament to the work and it's power to unite and represent."

Jaja's African Hair Braiding will play at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 28 January to 27 February 2027. The full cast and creative team will be announced in due course.

Jaja's African Hair Braiding Tickets