Beige

BEIGE is a bold, funny and deeply personal new theatre work from Swiss-Congolese actress and theatre-maker Jessica Nlabu.

Performed by Jessica Nlabu alongside Shannon Kurlander, the piece follows a woman caught between cultures, expectations and labels as she struggles to define herself in a world determined to do it for her.

As strangers, family, history and society attempt to define her nationality, personality and worth, she finds herself performing versions of herself for everyone except herself. What begins as a playful exploration of identity gradually transforms into a moving confrontation with belonging, inherited narratives and the pressure to fit neatly into categories that rarely reflect the complexity of real people.

Blending physical theatre, humour and raw storytelling, BEIGE explores identity, self-perception and the universal desire to be seen beyond assumptions. Inspired by lived experience and shaped through a highly theatrical and inventive lens, the work combines comedy and vulnerability to create an intimate and thought-provoking audience experience. Moving between humour, discomfort and confrontation, BEIGE examines the stories we inherit about ourselves and the roles we learn to perform in order to belong. As the boundaries between expectation and authenticity begin to blur, the piece exposes the absurdity, violence and contradiction of trying to fit a human being into a fixed category. Unsettling, provocative and at times painfully funny, it invites audiences to question not only how they are seen, but how they see others.

At its heart, BEIGE is a celebration of complexity. It is for anyone who has ever felt caught between worlds, searching for a place to belong.

Funny, provocative and heartfelt, BEIGE invites audiences to embrace the messy, beautiful reality of being human.