One-woman show Cheeky Little Brown, which explores the complexities of adult friendships and Queer Black female identity alongside original and catchy songs, is coming to Salford next week.
Actor Tiajna Amayo, 26, is touring with the production – a coming-of-age story focusing on the relationship between her character Lady and her best friend Gemma – until early next month.
Written by Nkenna Akunna and directed by Chinonyerem Odimba, Cheeky Little Brown looks at female friendship while also deep diving into Queer Black female identity and self-love.
And Tiajna, who is based in Wimbledon, said that is part of what drew her to this musical.
She told MM: “In popular media, we see plus-sized black women and plus-sized queer black women being portrayed in a very specific way.
“Either as super strong or knowing what they’re doing and just powering through things.
“Lady is not the heroine that we are used to seeing on stage.
“She makes so many mistakes and I love her character because she is real.”
Tiajna, graduated from the National Youth Theatre REP in 2021 and since then she has appeared in a variety of theatre pieces and had her TV debut on Inside No. 9, as well as writing her own material.
She best describes Cheeky Little Brown as a “love story, but also a story about understanding oneself and growing and leaving your childhood behind”.
She added: “Understanding that the people that you met when you were younger, and the life you had when you were younger, is not necessarily the life that you have now.”
Tiajna expressed how she is always interested in pieces reflecting different aspects of our society and this refreshing spotlight on identity is what initially appealed to her about this new musical.
Taking inspiration from her own lived experiences has helped Tiajna develop her character and she admitted she is able to relate to Lady in many ways. However, she thinks it is important to not become overly invested in a character.
“I am a big believer in there being some separation in characters.
“When you come off stage it can be quite draining to live in this person’s shoes for a really long time.”
Acknowledging her differences with Lady has helped Tiajna establish this separation.
She revealed how Lady is “a lot braver” than her, particularly due to her bold and often wreckless responses to situations that arise in the show.
Therapy has been available throughout the process and Tiajna explained its benefits.
She said: “It was really good to be able to talk through how I felt and not every theatre company does that which is really amazing.”
While Tiajna has performed in many plays before, this is her first one-woman show, and it has given her a newfound confidence in her capabilities.
“Doing this one-woman show has been incredibly liberating and it’s pushed me as an actor,” she said.
“It’s shown me that I can do a large amount of things such as singing, moving props, and remembering a really large script by myself.”
However, performing solo does bring its challenges, and Tiajna admitted she does miss having the support of other actors on stage.
“If we forget a line and they see it in your eyes that you’re panicking, they’ll save you if they can.
“It’s also easier to react act when you have somebody to bounce off.
“We have to imagine it and do it by ourselves, which is quite tricky, but not impossible.”
Getting the chance to explore new places across the UK has been eye-opening for Tiajna and she believes each theatre space brings new elements to the story.
Tiajna is currently touring in Bristol and is excited to take to Salford’s stage next week before visiting Coventry and Derby.
Cheeky Little Brown will be at The Lowry, Salford, from 20 October to 21 October.
Tickets available here.
Feature image © Craig Fuller
