Witty And Fresh: Scenes With Girls At Royal Court Theatre
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Two 24 year old women are sharing a flat, lounging around, fiddling with phones and laptops and talking about men and sex. So far, so sitcom. Miriam Battye’s acerbic play is totally on point and anything but a run-of-the-mill comedy (although it is hilarious). It’s exactly what it says: a series of short scenes, punctuated by jarring darkness.
The two women are obsessed with ‘the narrative’. They're consciously and obsessively avoiding the expected rituals of dating, engagement, marriage and kids, and trying hard not to become a Little Mix song. Lou is doing this by shagging as many men as she can. She’s up to 24 so far but only if you count 21.5 which was ‘largely oral.’ Tosh (Tanya Reynolds who plays Lily in Sex Education) is writing a thesis, and dodging the dating scene by avoiding sex at all. Their ex-flatmate, Fran, is a subject of their disdain, gamely wading into convention by getting engaged.
The dialogue is sharp and witty and Battye cleverly takes you through a spectrum of wanting to shake them (the overthinking, the torturous overthinking), wanting to be their best friend and wanting to make them feel better. The Royal Court is famous for bringing innovative new theatre to London. This couldn’t be fresher with a 2020s look at gender politics that’s utterly now.
Scenes with Girls, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS. Tickets £15-£25 until 22February 2020.
Last Updated 22 January 2020
