“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” returns to London: Jocelyn Bioh’s hit back at the Lyric Hammersmith from 28 January 2027

Jocelyn Bioh’s play “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” will return to London for an encore in early 2027, as Playbill reports. The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre has confirmed that the play will be staged again from 28 January to 27 February 2027, after this year’s British premiere sold out completely. Monique Touko will direct again, while the cast and the rest of the creative team will be announced soon.

The show premiered on Broadway in 2023 through the Manhattan Theatre Club and quickly became one of the most talked-about productions of the season: it won two Tony Awards, was extended twice, and several of its final performances were livestreamed online because of high demand, before it began its American tour in 2024. The British premiere opened in March this year and closed in April with tickets sold out.

The story unfolds over one hot summer day in an African hair salon in New York’s Harlem, where a group of West African immigrant women create masterpieces on the heads of neighbourhood clients. Amid secrets, laughter and betrayals, each of them pursues her own dreams — dreams that increasingly bring them into collision with the city they call home.

“Words cannot describe how excited I am that ‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding’ will once again open the shop’s doors at the Lyric Hammersmith!”, Bioh said in a statement, according to Playbill. “Under the wonderful direction of my beloved collaborator, Monique Touko, I was deeply touched by the way British audiences embraced the play with so much love and admiration. In many ways, ‘Jaja’s’ speaks to the power of community, and I feel honoured to now be part of this beautiful British theatrical community.”

“’Jaja’s African Hair Braiding’ is back by popular demand,” said director Touko. “A second run at the Lyric Hammersmith is proof of this play’s power to unite and represent.” The show is a co-production between the Lyric Hammersmith, Madison Wells Live and Chase This Productions. According to Playbill, general ticket sales start on 2 October at Lyric.co.uk.