''Expensive Shit'' is both a 2017 play and a 2020 short film both written and directed by
Adura Onashile.
Production
''Expensive Shit'' is was written by Adura Onashile, an English playwright of Nigerian decent
who lives in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland.
It was funded by the
Scottish Government's ''Made in Scotland'' program and debuted at the 70th
Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Onashile's 2020 film of the play debuted at the
BFI London Film festival.
Synopsis
''Expensive Shit'' is a fictional play inspired by real events at
The Shimmy Club
The Shimmy Club was a nightclub in Glasgow that operated from 2013 to 2022. The club installed a one-way mirror allowing viewing into the hand washing area of the women's toilets, prompting Glasgow City Council to intervene, forcing the club to ...
in Glasgow, which was forced to remove one-way mirrors from its women's toilets.
The play protagonist is Nigerian
toilet attendant
A bathroom attendant, restroom attendant, toilet attendant, or washroom attendant, is a cleaner for a public toilet. They maintain and clean the facilities, ensuring that toilet paper, soap, paper towels, and other necessary items are kept stock ...
Tolu (played by
Sabina Cameron in the play, and by
Modupe Adeyeye
Modupe Adeyeye (born 29 July 1992) is an English actress and model, known for her roles as Faith Olubunmi in '' EastEnders'' and '' EastEnders: E20'' and Blessing Chambers in ''Hollyoaks''.
Early life and career
Born and raised in London, he ...
in the film) working in a fictional Glasgow nightclub.
Tolu previously worked as a dancer in
Fela Kuti's Shrine nightclub in
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...
.
While at work, Tolu is pushed by her manager to encourage two women to sexually expose their breasts in the mirror in nightclub's toilets; unbeknown to the women, male customers are watching via the one-way mirror.
Tolu is later forced to choose between harming the women or saving herself from the situation.
Themes in the play include women's liberation and exploitative working conditions.
Critical reception
''Expensive Shit'' was nominated for the
BAFTA Scotland 2021 for ''Best Short Film.''
It also won the audience and the critics award at the
Glasgow International Film Festival,
and the ''The Scottish Audience Award'' and ''The Jury Award'' at the 2021
Glasgow Short Film Festival.
It was praised by
Andrea Arhagba writing in
''Empire'' for highlighting gender dynamics in nightclubs.
See also
*
MeToo movement
References
{{Authority controlExternal links
*
Expensive Shit, Adura Onashile'' Made in Scotland
2017 plays
2021 films
Works about sexual harassment
Works about sex crimes
Works about sexual abuse
Works about labor