At a Glance

Through poetry, music, storytelling and movement, ADEY brings together a young woman’s Tottenham upbringing and Eritrean heritage. This inviting performance examines family expectations, cultural identity and the struggle to make yourself heard. Its strongest moments suggest an engaging production that could develop its ideas and physicality even further.

Show: ADEY
Artist/company: Bethlehem Wolday-Myers / Red Sea Poetry
Performance reviewed: 14 August 2026
Time: 21:40–22:30
Running time: 50 minutes
Venue: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall — Theatre 1
Age guidance: 14+
Form: Spoken-word poetry, music and movement
Assessment: Recommended

What Stayed With Me

What stayed with me most after seeing ADEY was its exploration of women finding their voices. A powerful spoken-word piece about silence and breaking inherited cycles establishes an idea that runs through the whole performance: what it takes to speak for yourself when family, culture and society have already formed expectations about who you should become.

As an autobiographical theatre-maker myself, I connected with the tension between creative ambition and the desire for security. The relationship between the young artist and her traditional Eritrean mother is not presented as a simple battle between freedom and restriction. Her mother’s concerns come from love and an awareness of how uncertain an artistic career can be.

I was also interested in the production’s use of language. We do not need to understand every word exchanged between mother and daughter to recognise their affection, frustration and differences. Meaning is carried through vocal rhythm, tone and physical expression as much as through direct translation.

The flashes of movement and dance made me want to see the production become even more physically expressive. The performer establishes such a warm connection with the audience that there is also room to involve us more deeply.

ADEY left me thinking about the places, languages and relationships through which we build our identities—and about the courage required to claim a voice of our own.

Read my complete review of ADEY on FringeReview

View the official ADEY show listing

About Ginny

Ginny Evans-Pollard is an autobiographical theatre-maker, spoken-word poet, comedian and theatre critic. With a sharp eye for theatrical form, she offers a balanced yet passionate perspective. She is particularly interested in feminist perspectives, neuroinclusive and disability-led theatre, solo performance, international cultures and languages, representations of mental health, and theatre’s power to challenge attitudes and drive social change.

You can follow Ginny on social media or support her theatre writing by buying her a coffee.