Review Round-Up: JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING at the Lyric Hammersmith

Shehrazade Zafar-Arif 30 March, 2026, 12:35

Reviews are coming in for Jaja’s African Hair Braiding at the Lyric Hammersmith and London’s theatre critics are clearly smitten. They'e full of praise for this Broadway sensation's clever, thoughtful take on the politics of race and immigration, and utterly charmed by the talented cast's charismatic stage presence, entertaining dynamic, and comedic timing. Written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Monique Touko, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding follows a day in the life of a Harlem braiding salon. After dazzling Broadway audiences in 2023, it now makes its much anticipated UK premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith.

babirye bukilwa and Dolapo Oni in JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

What are critics saying about Jaja’s African Hair Braiding?

The Guardian

“Crowd-pleasing energy, charisma and expert comic timing”

★★★★

Reviewer: Arifa Akbar

“Touko navigates a script in which time passes – fractious moments and happy ones – with expert comic timing and pace, capturing the drama of the salon across 12 hours, including the longueurs as microbraids are painstakingly plaited, customers fought over, rude ones avoided and personal lives divulged, without an ounce of longueurs in the drama itself. Part of that is down to the charismatic performances and the interludes of music and dance – fabulously catchy in sound and visual effects (good work from video designer Dick Straker on Paul Wills’s revolving set, with mood-lifting African pop numbers by Burna Boy, Naira Marley, Prince Kaybee, Ckay and more) and some great wigs too, designed by Cynthia De La Rosa.”

Read the review here.

London Box Office

“The emotional beats pack as much of a punch as the brilliant cast's comedic timing”

★★★★

Reviewer: Shehrazade Zafar-Arif

“Bit by bit, the interpersonal dynamics and politics of the salon are revealed to us in ways that make the characters and their setting feel deeply authentic. The rapid-fire dialogue seamlessly blends humour with the emotional depth of the weightier topics the play delves into, in a way that never feels unnatural. There’s a fun sense of anticipation whenever a new customer walks through the doors, bringing a new and vibrant personality into the dynamic, whether it’s a woman who insists she wants to look like Beyonce or a difficult customer who brought her own products. The picture that’s painted feels immediately recognisable to anyone who’s frequented braiding salons. Cynthia De La Rosa’s wig designs not only showcases the dizzying range of braids on display, from box braids to cornrows to Beyonce’s Lemonade braids, but subtly reminds us of the significance of hair and the act of braiding to Black culture.”

Read the review here.

WhatsOnStage

“A hilarious and moving play”

★★★★

Reviewer: Rachel Agyekum

“Bioh writes with a cultural specificity that humanises the immigrant experience. We learn of the characters’ ambitions, as well as the barriers of trying to adjust in a new country with an increasingly hostile political climate. While this was written in 2019, it feels even more timely given the current rhetoric on immigration. She crafts characters who feel real and instantly recognisable, especially through their conversations. The dialogue is bold and packed with witty jokes, which balance with the serious moments. The play emphasises that Black women’s experiences are not a monolith. We hear a range of perspectives from the players, their nationalities, upbringings and personal lives.”

Read the review here.

Sewa Zamba in JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

The Stage

“Full of vibrant characters whose stories leave us wanting more”

★★★★

Reviewer: Holly O’Mahony

“Much of Jocelyn Bioh’s play, which unfolds over the course of a single working day and is directed with vibrancy by Monique Touko, is a high-energy, hammy comedy, where the equilibrium inside the salon is upset and reset each time a new presence bursts through its doors. But the hostility of Trump’s US rears its head by the end, where a cliffhanger leaves this play feeling short of the second act its story deserves.”

Read the review here.

The Arts Desk

"Perky Harlem-set comedy with a serious undertow"

★★★★

Reviewer: Helen Hawkins

"Bioh’s tweaking of the text for the London run has added topical plot points from the second Trump presidency to give this bouncy Tony-nominated comedy a real sting in its tail. For most of its 90 minutes, though, it’s a fast-talking joy. We spend a 12-hour working day with the women in the shop (an evocative set by Paul Wills on a simple revolve). The women’s families are originally from various countries in west Africa and have that distinctive singsong delivery with emphatic consonants that lends itself so well to sharp repartee, peppered with distinctive “eh-eh"s and hand gestures. They are by turns quarrelsome, joshing, nostalgic, angry with their partners, crabby with each other. And very funny. It's territory where a bum is a boom boom, and all is done fast-fast and nice-nice."

Read the review here.

The Times

“A jolly comedy that doesn’t end well”

★★★

Reviewer: Clive Davis

“Monique Touko’s bustling production invites us to eavesdrop on one conversation after another. It isn’t always easy to keep up with the various accents, so you may find yourself laughing a second or two after some of your neighbours. Paul Wills’s set design has lots of street energy, nevertheless, and Cynthia De La Rosa’s hair and wigs are as much fun as you would expect. At the very end, however, Jaja’s life, which had seemed to be all sun and smiles, abruptly begins to turn dark. It’s as if Bioh had suddenly decided to write an editorial about Trump’s America.”

Read the review here.

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Jaja's African Hair Braiding Tickets