âReview: Hive City Legacyâ by Ummi Hoque
After 2018âs sell-out run, Hive City Legacy returns once again at the Roundhouse to activate, pollinate and liberate. Nine femmes of colour were selected from 250 applicants to collaborate with Australian collective âHot Brown Honeyâ to unapologetically strike back to the societal marginalisation of femmes of colour. Director Lisa Faâalafi put together a marvellous fusion of hip-hop, breakdance, mime, aerial acrobatics, spoken word and plenty of twerking.
The hour-long show consists of snapshots of the daily struggles femmes of colour encounter in ordinary settings such as a morning commute on the Tube or an office party. Whether itâs a fetishizing gaze from a white man or the ignorant, offensive comments like âis that your hair... or did it get electrocuted?â Hive City Legacy does not downplay the rawness and realness of their individual experiences.
There is something quite liberating and empowering to see a show where every element of production and the cast is a femme of colour. To be given a platform, a space, a stage to share their story but also as an audience member to relate to their stories. I can assure you that Hive City Legacy is not afraid to absorb all that space and project their voices loud and clear. In fact, I think the show deserves to be on a bigger scale. Each performer exudes with infectious energy, bringing out a mixture of emotions from the audience from various scenes. There are moments where youâll have a lump in your throat but there are moments where youâll cackle with laughter. The one that got me was âWhat do you know about rhythm Sharon?â A cherry on the cake was Krystal Dockeryâs surprise appearance of nipple tassels on her arsecheeks, also wittily known as âasselsâ. Love that.
Taking my seat in the compact studio space was accompanied by upbeat, hip-hop jams, which seamlessly set the mood for the play. A beehive serves as a symbol for femme empowerment and costume designer, Sabrina Henry, and set designer, Emily Harwood, most certainly incorporate the running theme of a beehive through the individualistic costume, the large LED sign placed high up on the wall and the hexagonal block structure of the set. Although the cast reflect a beehive collective, particularly through their punchy, fierce choreography, they simultaneously tell stories of individual lived experiences as femmes of colour. What I love about this show is that it explores intersectional black femme identity and utterly defies the homogenization of black and brown women.
Hive City Legacy quite literally invites the audience to dance with them on stage, twerking and skanking to great music and to end on a celebratory note. No play has managed to get me out of my seat ever so I applaud Hive City Legacy for being the first.
The play does not have a consistent narrative which left me confused at times as the sporadic structure made it difficult to know when a new scene was introduced. Nevertheless, the message still comes across clearly and it successfully challenges patriarchy, institutionalised racism, chauvinism and fetishizing women of colour. But it also uplifts and celebrates the power of melanin and how individual stories can come together to create a collective or in this case a beehive. To activate, pollinate and liberate.
I recently read this quote which I think perfectly relates to Hive City Legacy: âIf youâre not uncomfortable then youâre not listeningâ. This is an integral purpose of the play, particularly for white and non-femme audience members to actively listen to the stories from powerful femmes of colour and to feel uncomfortable.
Ummi Hoque is an 18 year old theatre enthusiast and aspiring writer
@ummihoque





