'I went to see a one-woman show by a Black woman and we absolutely need more'

Worthy is the antidote for toxic online comments, podcast bros and society’s rabid desire for Black women to be ‘perfect’ and push through.

Review: Worthy - a one-woman show by Nova Reid

Worthy triumphs at defying Black cultural norms and giving Black women a much needed and refreshing escape.

BY MELISSA SIGODO

JUNE 28, 2026

“I don’t look like what I’ve been through”, says Nova Reid who joyfully enters the stage at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre dancing in a white waist-length cape, a chic black jumpsuit and glittery spiked Louboutin heels. A basket filled with handwritten affirmations and questions from her audience awaits, and she’s keen to commence her first act by reading them aloud and indulging fans who have travelled from as far as Australia and Barbados to see her relatable, authentic and unscripted one-woman show.

In a world where Black women are under constant attack, Worthy provides a refreshing escape. Nova’s two-hour show is the antidote for toxic online comments, podcast bros and society’s rabid desire for Black women to be ‘perfect’, push through and place themselves in harm’s way. Through intimate stories of her vulnerable experiences as a child, an anti-racism activist, author, former actress and a Black woman who ‘learned what it means to be unworthy before knowing what it means to be worthy’ – Nova is magnetic and effortlessly puts on an unflinching show that sticks a middle finger at anyone who has ever attempted to undermine her worth or expects Black women to be strong.

Nova Reid at Bloomsbury Theatre. Credit: Becky Bailey Photography

Nova’s debut triumphs at defying Black cultural norms around ‘keeping things private’ when it comes to health and abuse. She bravely shares the darkest moments of her life which include having 37 uterine fibroids removed and a near-death experience that triggered a career change. Through honest and raw stories from her past that speak to the title of her show, Nova reveals the racial barriers she encountered in the theatre industry, experiencing the most harm from Black people while working on anti-racism and the subject of abuse committed by Black men against Black women. She fearlessly answers questions rooted in self-worth that are often shied away from or remain virtually impossible to broach online without sparking pointless social media wars. Guided by the audience, Nova unpacks her journey from girlhood to womanhood and Worthy reminds us why safe real-life spaces and theatres which stage Black talent are invaluable for Black women’s stories to be told meaningfully without interruption or judgement.

In the second act, Nova returns to the stage barefoot in a gold jumpsuit while carrying three lit candles. She sits on the floor and pays tribute to incredible Black women whose lives were tragically cut short by cancer. Teneisha Bonner, Faye Hamilton and Kanya King. She makes a point that although these women achieved extraordinary careers, the memories she cherishes of them are of much more than their accolades.

Nova pays tribute to Teneisha Bonner, Faye Hamilton and Kanya King Becky Bailey Photography

As the show comes to an end, it forces you to pause and to reflect on your own feelings of worthiness and how you show up for yourself in life. In freeing herself of the weight of society’s expectations, Nova frees women of all colours in the audience along with her. She gives herself permission to just be. To not have to fulfil a purpose, to exist and to look after herself. She takes the stage and embraces who she is. She tells us, “I’m not interested in people who want to debate my humanity” -a statement that sadly needs to be made. But now, her one-woman show stands as a reminder that despite how the world attempts to dehumanise Black women and erase our worth - we are indeed still worthy.

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