Girls Like That at Devizes’ Wharf Theatre Opens Tomorrow 

What if I told you the forthcoming production at the Wharf Theatre in Devizes was staged by the Wharf’s own Youth Theatre Group? Would you preconceive it to be akin to a school production? Would you assume it amateurish, or immature? Girls Like That is none of the above, I was invited to a sneaky preview dress rehearsal type thingy, and it’s complex, multi-layered and poignantly provocative….

I left the Wharf contemplating the model protagonist versus antagonists is ambiguously played out here, as the centre of attention, due to a lewd photograph of her going viral, Scarlet, played wonderfully by Chloe Lagden, is silent throughout the majority of the play, and until the closing scene where she lays it thick on the line; the layers of blame, of victim of circumstance, and the harassing group banter leaves a bitter taste of irony, of who is right and who are wrong.

Even the title remains questionable once the play has concluded; does the “girls like that” refer to the Scarlets of this world, and their terrible mistakes, or her peers who seem determined to gossip and spread hearsay through their outrage at what she did? I remain undecided, but an open-ended play is favourable if you wish to leave with deliberations about your own social engagements, which it certainly does. Face it, we never truly grow out of our malicious adolescent craving to better ourselves by putting others down, and I only said that because my dad is a black belt in karate!

Of course, it focuses on contemporary methods of harassing, online, but there’s interesting monologues dividing the present day, of twenty year gapped reminiscences, examples of masculine abuse and inequality, which though you assume are only there for an insight to past techniques of humiliation and how they differ or are similar to today’s, there’s a twist at the conclusion to roll them nicely into the narrative…. not forgoing, elders in the audience will love the cultural reverences I’d suspect the actresses would need to Google!

The nine other young actresses, Scarlet’s frenemies, each play their parts of equal substance, as if they were made for them. I pondered if they each took reflection from this on their own actions, or this is the superb direction from renowned director Lou Cox, or more likely a bit of both. But one thing I am sure of, the cast; Samantha Scott, Bea Yates, Eloise Bromley, Darcey Oswin, Megan Hughes, Pip Aldridge, Jess Harding, Jess Worrow, and Lisa Grimes, together with Chloe, play utterly convincing parts with gusto and actuality.

There’s subtly placed humour too, satirical and black, and it’s easy to see now how Girls Like That was named best play for young audiences at the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards in 2015, though I would argue with strong language and passionately delivered prose, here is a story to leave an impression on the most hardened adult mind equally.

Clogs and stilettos this play, for me, because being an honest reviewer, anyone who requests a nudie photo of me must either be criminally insane or a director filming a whole new level of twisted horror-comedy; walking in someone else’s shoes is most effective when they’re an entirely different style of shoe. Even if you cannot relate to the circumstance presented in Girls Like That, I believe there’s a moral there for us all, as the naivety of the characters mature, the nature of gossip and backbiting never really fades through age, it just gets more complex and crafty. Ergo, anyone, a victim, perpetrator or both will identify with this gritty, reality-driven play, but all will relish in its gorgeous portrayal.

The popularity of recognisable shows at theatres in general, means previous performances at our wonderful Wharf Theatre, such as The Railway Children, can be taken as red, whereas something lesser-known like this you have to take a chance. I’m only here to express my thoughts, and would humbly suggest Girls Like That displays the diversity of performances the Wharf are willing to put on, and you will leave breath-taken.

Well done to Lou and her team of aspiring, and indeed, inspiring actors at the Wharf Theatre Youth Group, it’s marvellous!

Girls Like That starts tomorrow, Thursday 20th July, and runs until Saturday 22nd. Shows at 7:30pm, tickets are from £10, from the Wharf website HERE, or from the Box Office on; 0333 666 3366.

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