REVIEW: Reparations, Maryam Garad and Pleasance, EdFringe 2026 ★★★

Winner of the Tony Craze Award 2023 and the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Global Majority Fund 2026, Reparations is Maryam Garad’s debut play with a thought-provoking title. In Garad’s own words when talking with A Youngish Perspective, we are here to witness protagonist, Aisha, “go on a journey in pursuit of being seen”.

Meet Aisha: she is in her early twenties, has moved in with her aunt after finally being released from prison and is desperately trying to shake her infamous reputation as the estate’s local thief. She feels behind in a lot of things – clubbing, parties, friendships, career – but somehow knows that she doesn’t just want to settle into the lives everyone around her seems so content with. Following a chance meeting in a park, Aisha meets V, a glossy social media influencer of mediocre fame, and Aisha is determined that this so-called it-girl will be her path to success, money and, most importantly, freedom. Aisha is no longer stealing MAC lipsticks… she’s stealing a life that she’s been told is just not for her. Reparations lets us follow Aisha on her mission to make a fresh start, and asks pertinent questions about what it truly means to take what is owed to you.

At the beginning of the show, it was not clear if the writing intended to keep protagonist Aisha’s tendency for shoplifting, and three year prison sentence, a mystery, or whether this was supposed to be common knowledge from the start – either way, I think this is a script that would benefit from a more mysterious and suspenseful opening, where the audience are given the chance to work out some things for themselves. However, once Reparations got going, it picked up a lovely momentum and became an interesting look at gentrification, class and whether we can truly start a new chapter. What really stuck with me was Aisha’s frustration at being “expected to change when our circumstances don’t”: utilising simple staging. Reparations is an endearing and sometimes surprising take on a solo Fringe show that uses Aisha’s journey through the insidious world of influencer marketing to reveal thought-provoking observations about identity as a Black Muslim woman, and of that of the other women around her and how they position themselves in relation to her struggles and successes.

Unfortunately, at times, the characterisation felt a little disjointed and lacked the variety or depth needed to help the audience fully connect with Aisha’s story. I wonder if Garad was rushing, as I frequently felt scenes that should have high tension were skimmed over, and some of the precision in Garad’s character work got a little lost due to the relentless fast pace. This was not helped by the use of a head microphone, which had presumably been used to ensure Garad could be heard in the relatively large auditorium of Above at Pleasance Courtyard; however, for me, it became a hinderance to the intimacy of the storytelling and the general naturalness of Garad’s voice acting, as well as contributing to the slightly jarring unevenness of the sound levels more generally. That said, Garad’s seamless switching between characters, with some fantastic accent work and a strong command of the stage, held the piece together and created some really touching moments of humour and vulnerability, which were well-balanced together.

With a fascinating concept, and some beautiful moments of truthful storytelling, Reparations is an exciting debut play from Maryam Garad.

Recommended Drink: A Vodka Soda – fast and never too heavy, but with plenty to keep you wanting to come back for more.

You can see Reparations at Above at Pleasance Courtyard from 5-30 August (not 17, 24) at 14:00 (1 hour). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.