Review: SLEEPOVA at Olney Theatre Center

Grab your bunny slippers and pop some popcorn. SLEEPOVA is a coming-of-age story about the strong ties of female friendship amid the stresses and trials encountered on the road to adulthood. Like the teens themselves, the production at Olney Theatre Center is earnest, frank, funny … and a bit clunky and awkward. 

Olney’s production, directed by Paige Hernandez, is the U.S. premiere of the Olivier Award-winning play about four Black British teenagers hashing out their challenges and dreams. At times giddy, at times dark, SLEEPOVA celebrates closeness and camaraderie that all begins with popcorn, movies and shared stories at a birthday sleepover. 

The play opens in 2016 London as the girls are nearing the end of secondary school and dreaming of prom then a life of A Levels and uni. The teens gather at Shan’s (Jasmine Proctor) to celebrate her 16th birthday. This first-time sleepover among the friends was carefully planned to appease their protective parents. Shan reluctantly stashes away the plush animals and tween posters of her childhood; she and her friends eagerly turn their attention to all the upcoming milestones of adulthood. 

The friends include the strong and centered Rey (Nykila Norman) – proudly queer, cool and confident; Funmi (Tymetrias L. Bolden) – a daddy’s girl and natural leader full of sass and wry observations; and Elle (Ciara Hargrove), a devout Christian who is observant yet chafes under the thumb of her family’s strict practices. 

The play ushers us through the froth of prom and certificate results, as well as significant turning points for the teenagers as they grapple with chronic illness, death, sexuality, betrayal of trust, and family relationships. Their friendship is tested as they confront unexpected trials; some distance themselves. Yet by New Year’s Eve, on the cusp of 2018, they have reconnected and grown a bit wiser. They once again lean on each other. As they put together a time capsule, they share talismans of the ways they expect to mature and stare down the challenges ahead.

The cast is a strong ensemble that works well together. Jasmine Proctor reveals a bubbly Shan who enjoys the growing attention of boys but must be mindful of the surprising threats and obstacles of life with sickle cell disease. An effervescent and commanding Tymetrias L. Bolden as Funmi bounces from pining over Shan’s cute brother Solomon, to earnestly learning more about her Nigerian heritage through Yoruban proverbs and rituals, to evolving through the changes in her family. Nykila Norman reveals a nuanced performance contrasting the mature, popular and confident Rey among her school peers who stumbles and is vulnerable when her trust is violated by her mentor. Ciara Hargrove’s Elle is full of heart – and full of the spirit of the Lord; we see her struggle to balance the tight religious expectations of her family, her bonds with her friends, her faith, and her truth. 

Despite the strong performances, pacing is a problem; SLEEPOVA needs to be crisper and tighter. Part of the issue is the script – we move through lots of Act 1 exposition then considerable life issues (of four characters!) interspersed through Act 2. But direction is also responsible for the slow pacing with characters on the phone silently texting or time passing (calendar pages silently projected) with people not talking to each other. Scene changes are slow and blocking that takes actors off the thrust stage slackens the pace. Emotional lows stretch long and drag – it’s possible to give moments emotional weight and still move the play forward.

The set, by Scenic Designer Shartoya R. Jn. Baptiste, is multi-functional and inventive with light notes of great fun – graphic pillows, a disco ball, huge beanbag chairs. It is memorable and amusing, but the time spent reconfiguring the various set pieces between scenes adds empty time. 

In addition to the set, projections do heavy work – from posters that nod to the changing interests of the young women to New Year’s fireworks to hospital machines to learning their secondary school certificate results. Projections Designer Zavier Augustus Lee Taylor’s work provides important information and fills out the scenes in place of sets or props. 

Costume Designer Danielle Preston provides a window into the teens’ personality from 
Rey’s sharp prom tux to Elle’s demure knee-length denim skirt and Funmi’s Wakanda-inspired flouncy top and everyone’s jammies and slippers. 

Dialect Coach Gerrad Alex Taylor ensured consistent and genuine dialogue that rang true throughout the play. 

Jason Loewith, Olney Theatre’s Artistic Director says, “Matilda [Feyiṣayọ Ibini] is a singular playwright, and with this play, she celebrates a community at once utterly familiar and strikingly different from what we know here in the United States. We’re so proud to give Matilda’s play its American premiere.” The Nigerian British playwright’s work gives American audiences a chance to better appreciate the issues of race, identity and the immigrant experience through the lens of these four young Black Londoners and their families. 

The playwright says, “Sleepova is an invitation to audiences into the lives of these four young Black British girls and how differently we all come of age. I hope audiences come ready to laugh, dance and be reminded of the power of friendships."

Although the two-hour play would benefit from a trim, it is a story that’s full of heart and offers an interesting window into the lives of these young women that is familiar, yet different from the American experience. The cast is strong, capable and energetic. 

Running Time: 2 hours including one 15-minute intermission

SLEEPOVA by Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini and directed by Paige Hernandez is produced by Olney Theatre Center in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832. The production runs through April 27, 2025, with performances Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 PM. There is also a performance on Wednesday, April 2 at 1:30 PM. For tickets, accessible performance information, special programming, attendance policies, and further information visit the company's website.

Photos: Teresa Castracane Photography

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