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★★★★★
In my pre-festival coverage, I had the opportunity to interview Tiegan Byrne (writer) and Cecilie Fray (director) about ‘Girlhood’: a new piece of writing focusing on motherhood, which is based at Greenside venues for the first two weeks of the Edinburgh Fringe and produced by Sam James for WAC Hall Productions. I was intrigued by how the production would showcase three different women’s stories, covering multiple decades in the process, and approach the subject of what it means to be a mother. Booking the show as one of my early reviews, I headed to the top of the Royal Mile on my first evening at the festival, looking forward to seeing how the creative team would approach having multiple narratives on stage at once.
Synopsis
The play takes place on New Year’s Eve across three different time periods: presumably the seventies, nineties and the present day, and the audience is introduced to Nancy, Ivy and Deja who are each at a crossroads in their lives. The end of a year usually brings with it a sense of reflection and the particular celebratory evening in question could see the women’s lives change forever. Focusing on themes of motherhood and the impact that mothers have on their daughters, the play explores some largely under talked about themes, which will resonate with both mothers themselves and anyone who has ever considered having children.
Three decades in one play
The three narratives are brilliantly staged by Cecilie, with the stories intertwining at just the right moments, never upsetting the flow of the script. Rather than have the performers freeze when it is not their turn to speak, they continue to navigate the stage, moving their storyline along even when it is not the focus. Across the three eras, the play is set in the time preceding and following the strike of midnight and the short timescale means that the audience is effectively watching in real time, with the subtle movements feeling extremely natural.
In terms of the costume design, Beth Colley has captured the spirit of each of the decades, particularly through the era-appropriate clothes and hairstyles. From the moment that you walk into the Thistle Theatre, it is immediately clear when the play is set, without the need to actually mention it in the script. The time periods are instantly recognisable and this is down to Beth’s attention to detail in the visuals.
Captivating cast performances
The cast are simply superb, bringing Tiegan’s script to life with so much conviction and energy. Helen Chong is the star of the show as ‘Party Girl’ and their onstage bond with Ivy (Kathryn Lincoln) is wonderful to watch. There is a segment where the pair recreate a Spice Girls dance routine and they want to be precise with the movements. Watching this I could totally relate, remembering similar experiences from when I was younger, practising dance routines with my friends.
Providing a voice for young women
If you are a twenty or thirty-something who is on the fence about becoming a parent, Tiegan’s writing will take on a whole different meaning. There are so many moments where the writer provides a voice for young women who are aware of their ‘body clock running out’ and being unsure what they want in life. The fact that the material has this effect and still manages to make audiences laugh at the same time, is proof of the strength of ‘Girlhood’ as a play. My only comment would be that there is borderline too much profanity in the script, and in terms of getting the wider message across, it could still be achieved with less of this. However, what is very subtle but creative is how the use of swearing can be interpreted as a lens for societal changes between the decades and how women no longer have to fit in a box that society has defined.
A highly relevant piece of new writing
Featuring tremendous acting and nostalgic costume design, ‘Girlhood’ is an extremely relatable piece of new writing that has been brought to life sensitively by the creative team, particularly with how the script addresses the subject of motherhood. This is balanced with lots of humour, particularly through the anecdotes about being a young woman and the realities of having to grow up. This is one of the reasons why I urge spectators to go and see this highly topical play at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. The material will speak to mothers and daughters of all ages and can be found at Greenside @ Riddles Court – Thistle Theatre until 17th August (excluding 11th). Performances start at 18:30 in the Royal Mile venue, with last minute tickets available via the festival website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘Girlhood’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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