Hannah Akhalu, Tara Tijani and Sewa Zamba will star in Theresa Ikoko’s award-winning play, directed by JMK Award winner Ewa Dina.
The Young Vic has announced the cast for its production of Girls, Theresa Ikoko’s award-winning play, running in the theatre’s intimate Maria Studio from 22 October to 21 November 2026.
Hannah Akhalu (Cinderella, Rose Theatre) plays Tisana, alongside Tara Tijani (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Globe) as Haleema and Sewa Zamba (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Lyric Hammersmith) as Ruhab. The production marks the Young Vic debut of director Ewa Dina, who won the 2026 JMK Award for her staging of the play.
Set in Nigeria in 2014, Girls follows three teenage best friends, busy swapping notes on celebrities, sex and dodging carbs, whose lives are upended when they are kidnapped by militant insurgents and forced towards an uncertain future. With only each other to turn to, and as fear and religious differences begin to fracture their bond, the play asks how far a friendship can be tested before it breaks. A genuinely acclaimed piece of new writing, it won the Alfred Fagon Award in 2015 and the George Devine Award in 2016, and was a finalist for the Verity Bargate Award.
Director Ewa Dina said she was “thrilled to be working with these three women,” praising each for “a deep commitment to telling this story with authenticity and nuance,” and adding: “I trust them implicitly to bring their humanity and artistry into the work.“
The creative team features set and costume design by Raphaé Memon, lighting design by Simisola Majekodunmi, composition by féz, sound design by Munotida Chinyanga, movement direction by dkfash and fight and intimacy direction by Haruka Kuroda.
View live availability for Girls here
Plan your visit to Girls
- Theatre: Young Vic (Maria Studio), 66 The Cut, London SE1 8LZ
- Booking dates: 22 October – 21 November 2026 (press night 27 October)
- Performance schedule: Monday–Saturday 8pm, matinees Wednesday and Saturday 3pm
- Access performances: Captioned 12 November (8pm), BSL 13 November (8pm), Relaxed 18 November (3pm)
Young Vic Theatre, London
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