Inspired by real experiences and conversations around menstrual health, And that’s on period! is a powerful one-woman poetry performance exploring periods, pain and the realities of reproductive healthcare. A poetic, gut-wrenching and honest exploration of women’s health, body literacy and the power of speaking openly. Tickets available here.
How has living with PCOS influenced the creation of And That’s on Period!?
I’ve had my diagnosis for about nine years now and I recently just realised PCOS is classed as a chronic illness and everything sort of started making sense while being more absurd at the same time. I started wanting to talk more about my condition in a way that didn’t make me feel judged but understood clearly and that was through poetry. Each piece started taking shape as I incorporated content from my actual period journals and notes I had taken from my trips to the hospital. I had shared bits and pieces with friends and at some open mics and realised people either rarely see/hear this addressed out loud or are completely oblivious to menstrual illnesses as a concept and that started my desire to start advocating for the desigmatisation of period topics.
Why did you choose spoken-word theatre to explore menstruation and menstrual health?
I’ve been very interested in theatre and musicals as an art form lately. I recently performed in a similar fashion at the Blackfest 2025 spoken word showcase last year and it felt amazing. I was also reading about the history of slam poetry and spoken word as it is today and initially most performances were set up to be as theatrical and ‘extra’ as possible in order to engage
the audience. I’m very keen on exploring and experimenting with various forms of how poetry can be consumed and distributed to the public and integrating it with varying mediums of art.
How does the show connect personal experiences of period pain with wider healthcare issues?
When I speak about my conditions living with pcos, there’s always someone who has either pcos or some other menstrual health issue or knows someone that has has one. I think its also very absurd how a lot of women experience some sort of hormonal/mensural health issue and we’re conditioned to stay ‘hush-hush’ about it. My experience is only a glimpse into a wide array of diverse experiences other women have experienced, but I think it’s relatable and a starting point to empathise with anyone living with some form of menstrual health issue. There’s a lot of overlap in symptoms and some women get misdiagnosed because of that too.
How has your identity as a queer Nigerian poet shaped the work?
Growing up as a girl in Nigeria, shame is something that’s gifted to your womanhood. In secondary school, first periods are usually irregular but at 11 or 12 years old girls are expected to never get stained – otherwise they’re shamed for it. No one speaks about periods to boys much, so they shame girls for it, and the possibility of getting pregnant, also shame and so help you God, you’ve got a fertility/menstrual issue, also shame. I think my PCOS diagnosis and accepting my queerness helped me unlearn a lot of shame through the process of researching more about female anatomy, learning more of body neutrality and varying forms of sexuality. I’ve learned that accepting a ‘huge’ thing that makes you different is a big driving force in personal liberation.
What conversations or changes do you hope the show will inspire?
I want the audience to leave with the question ‘how can I help? How can I support people with menstrual illnesses today?’ The thing is we sometimes think it’s so far out of reach, but it starts with requesting that period care products are accessible in your workplace, treating ‘period cramps’ like an actual illness and not women being dramatic. I want the audience to actively ask the women in their lives about their period journey and where they need support and know where to signpost them for support, I want men to not be clueless about buying pads for the women and girls in their lives, I want the audience to be curious about women’s health and research about it unprompted.