SCENES WITH GIRLS

Golden Goose Theatre

★★★

“this production pulls on every bit of substance and brightness that it can”

Female friendship. It’s a bit of a media minefield, if we’re honest — full of portrayals of women betraying one another, being pitted against each other, or some combination thereof. Then there are the bubblegum and candy-floss versions that aim to act as though women never fall victim to the societal conditioning that causes them to view each other as competition. Miriam Battye’s Scenes with Girls aims to walk the tightrope between these worlds, showing us women who are trying, ostensibly, to fight the conditioning that tells them they need men in their lives, that it’s acceptable to abandon your friendships when a boy comes along offering you not just attention, but sex as well. It’s a shame then, that the text never really manages to make us believe in the relationships that we’re observing.

Originally premiering at the Royal Court in 2020, Scenes with Girls follows Lou and Tosh, two best friends who are determined to buck what they refer to as “the narrative” — effectively, the idea that they are meant to centre boys and romance in their lives. They take two very different approaches to the matter, Lou’s being more “practical” and Tosh’s more “theoretical” — at least, according to Lou, which seems to make Tosh bristle. Lou views sex through what we would probably view as a traditionally masculine lens. She talks on and on about her various exploits, while consistently congratulating herself on her personal detachment from the act itself. Tosh, however, has seemingly taken something of a vow of celibacy, though she never says it in so many words. This, the relationship with Lou, is enough for her. It’s all that matters. If only Lou could understand it, too. Occasionally, their former flatmate Fran makes appearances. She’s been coaxed to the dark side, as it were — dating a man that Lou and Tosh clearly both view as milquetoast at best. They’re needlessly cruel about Fran, saying awful things about her behind her back, and every time she goes to the toilet. The whole situation feels like a strangely low-stakes powder keg, primed for explosion.

But whatever the story may lack, this production pulls on every bit of substance and brightness that it can. As Tosh, Lyndsey Ruiz is a gorgeous balance of self assuredness and latent rage. She loves Lou desperately and just wants to be loved in return. Hannah Renar’s Lou is a lovely foil. She almost never stands still, as though there’s something inside of her, just aching for release. But she plays her distraction, her mild disinterest in Tosh with skilful subtlety. Eli Rose-Cooper’s Fran, though not leant a terrible amount of complexity in the text, is lovely as well — we spend very little time with her, but we see her inner conflict, how much she wants to be part of what Tosh and Lou share, how much she still needs these women in her life. These accomplished performances are complimented by some well-considered music choices, as well as very clever lighting design by Phil Hamilton.

All in all, one leaves the theatre wishing that the topics at hand were better explored. They’re important, relevant, and ones that we rarely see represented with the appropriate complexity on stage or screen. That being said, this version of Scenes with Girls is well worth a watch.

SCENES WITH GIRLS

★★★

Golden Goose Theatre

SCENES WITH GIRLS

Golden Goose Theatre

★★★

“this production pulls on every bit of substance and brightness that it can”