Camden Fringe 2026
No But… Where Are You Really From?
Produced by Thea Merton and Monique Eleanor.
Genre: Biographical Drama, Drama, Fringe Theatre, New Writing
Venue: Hen and Chickens Theatre
Festival: Camden Fringe
Low Down
The most beautiful parts of the show are the well-rhymed text and gentle dance of the actors, describing childhood, landscapes, and warm family ties in Africa
Review
“Where are you from?” is one of the most popular questions that is asked in almost every society in every multicultural city, especially in London. The question’s origins are human curiosity in the search for recognition, matched ideologies and other similarities with the other person. However, the word REALLY changes the entire context. “Where are you really from?” usually comes after the first question, most times in a very impolite way, from people who believe that they are the majority and such a question is very much legitimate.
Those topics of identity, colour, majority versus minority, are at the centre of the show No But… Where Are You Really From?. The show shares the lives of two women of African descent who live in Britain and try to deal, each one in her own way, with the daily doubt of the local society towards their belonging to the kingdom. Monique Eleanor plays an actor who was born in the UK and is struggling to get roles due to her appearance, and Chia Rises Phoenix is an immigrant from Africa who is trying to get legal status in the UK and facing too many changes to the strict immigration policy.
They both aspire to fight the ongoing racism, prejudice and discrimination, and simply to fulfil their personal and professional wishes and make a decent living. But their skin colour, their look, their movements in space, the way they talk, prevent them from achieving what we all hope to have in our lives, despite frequent attempts.
While they fight individually with impatient casting agents and opaque government officials, as heard on stage via voice-over, they become one as they describe their deepest feelings and memories with much nostalgia for their families and early lives in Africa. Those are also the most beautiful scenes of the show, involving well-rhymed poetry and dance, as it seems to be a festival of happiness and positiveness. Their gentle movement brings the audience much closer to the lives they have given up on, which changed with the daily war of promising them a better future in a country that doesn’t keep its promises.
In 2026, discourse about immigrants, who are allowed to be considered British, who are allowed to stay here and who should be sent back, is one of the main and leading topics in the news and in Parliament, not just in the UK but all around the globe. In just 60 minutes, the show succeeds in moving the diverse audience and leading us all to the thought that next time we meet a new person, we should skip the “where are you from?” question and maybe find better ways to understand their culture, interests and personalities.
