Following a series of successful runs at the Camden Fringe and Peckham Theatre last year, Lara Grace Ilori’s Runner Girl arrived in Brixton from 15 to 19 September as part of Brixton House’s flagship event Housemates Festival 2026.
The 70-minute show follows recent graduate Anu (Lara Grace Ilori) as she reconnects with herself through running after moving back home from university. We witness Anu recover her pace both physically and metaphorically, as she attempts to score a personal best while healing from grief and trauma – her running progress becoming a mirror of her healing journey.
Ilori, as writer, producer and solo performer of the play, is compelling in her one-woman show, immediately demanding our attention as she takes centre-stage, clad in running gear, monologuing her journey towards setting a record pace. This, at first, appears to be her sole focus. But as the play unfolds, we see her deeper-rooted issues come to surface, as she grapples with the loss of her mother, harassment, and a recent breakup. Her athletic capabilities stall as her emotions build, providing a harrowing, important account of recovery by exploring the intersection of mental and physical health.
Ilori said: “My writing stems from my spoken word background, regularly centring themes about mental health, diaspora experiences and empowerment. Runner Girl is a deep reflection of this.”
Illori’s physicality and stage presence is exceptional, as she narrates her tale while consistently jogging. Through the merging of lighting, movement, music, and prayer, she delivers an immersive, captivating performance, emotionally investing us in her story. Anu’s larger-than-life personality and constant quips allow the script to balance the heaviness of the subject matter and provide us with a multifaceted, charming protagonist to root for. References to the theatre’s surroundings, such as Brixton Road and Brockwell Park, as well as occasional fourth wall breaks, further engage the audience with a sense of relatability.
Ilori said: “To share this new iteration of my debut play in South London, where I’m born and raised, meant everything to me as a sentimental Nigerian Yorùbá babe. Also, the main character is from Brixton – everything divinely aligns.”
By displaying both progression and regression, Runner Girl provides a raw, unfiltered account of healing, one that is both moving and necessary, to assert that recovery doesn’t have to be glamorous or linear. Ilori is impressive as both writer and one-woman act, as she brings her story back home to South London – culminating in an energising high, as she closes out with a routine to Beyoncé’s dance-pop anthem CHURCH GIRL.
Featured image credit: Courtney Nathan Phillip
