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Racheal Ofori: Beauty is the Beast

FuelFest

— ,The Pit
Writer Racheal Ofori poses, leaning against a concrete pillar while holding onto her heeled black shoe.

Get a first look at this brand new satire, written and performed by Racheal Ofori, that explores the harsh costs of beauty – from scalp-burning perms to injectables, from detox teas to fat injections.

Yvonne is losing her mind. She walks into Boots looking for shampoo and has a breakdown, paralysed by the overwhelming abundance of bright plastic bottles.

Mina has always kept a trim figure. Her mother's ever-present scales in their family home used to do the trick. But since her mother’s death, she’s finding it harder to keep the weight off. So, she’s ordered some fat jabs online.

"I want to be wafer-thin. So thin that, at some point, I practically disappear. Isn’t that the point? The literal erasure of women?"

Racheal Ofori is a UK Theatre award-nominated writer and performer whose previous work with Fuel includes Portrait, So Many Reasons and FLIP!. 

This is a work-in-progress performance as part of FuelFest, celebrating 20 years of fresh work for adventurous people by inspiring artists.

Tagged with: Talks & events Theatre & dance Theatre and Dance Winter/Spring 2025 More...

Running time: approximately 50-60 minutes, no interval

Age guidance: 12+

Pre-show warnings

Use of flour in the show (very small amount, not sprayed on audience).

References to eating disorders and diet culture. 

Accessibility
If you're a wheelchair user, please contact our box office on 020 7101 1188 (Mon-Sun 10am - 5:30pm) to book a ticket at a Pay What You Can price. 

Tue 11 Mar: Captioned performance
Captioned by Jeanie Barnsley. Find out more about Accessible Events at the Barbican.

The Fuel Behind the Fest: in conversation with Racheal Ofori
Tues 11 Mar, following the 7.45pm performance 
Explore the making of the piece and provocation at its core with Racheal Ofori, and consider how we survive and thrive through feminism under capitalism. Free to same-day ticket holders.
 

Co-commissioned by Fuel and Women in Theatre Lab and produced by Fuel. Supported by Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking.

Presented by the Barbican. 

Supported by Arts Council England.

Discover more about Fuel on their website fueltheatre.com and across socials on @fueltheatre. 

Image by Myah Jeffers. 

Creative team

Racheal Ofori Writer and Director
Madeleine Kludje Director
Anna-Kay Gayle Movement Director
Meg Hodgson Stage Manager

Reviews

‘Ofori is a hugely engaging performer...‘
Guardian
‘Ofori’s stories make us laugh, make us empathise and make us think about wider issues of religion, shame and sex‘
The Reviews Hub on So Many Reasons

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