Review: Playfight

The rightful vulgarity of adolescence shines brightly in this show. Broken hearts and confused minds are in abundance as the performance tracks three friends coming of age under a tree, (or big pink ladder) that has seen it all before. For what is life without a bit of gritty sex talk with your nearest and dearest.

The teenage hope of a world beyond four walls clashes harshly with the claustrophobic realisation that their clumsy, spur-of-the-moment actions have real world consequences.

Hidden behind the filthy and the crass is raw female vulnerability exploring sexual awakenings in three different forms. The uncompromising interactions between the performers invites you into a friendship you feel you’re intruding on, but can’t draw yourself away.

This performance is vital in highlighting the mistakes, vulgarities, and poignancy of female adolescence that often go unnoticed as ‘juvenile behaviour.’ Set in a circular theatre, Playfight tracks the girls from age 14 to 23, illuminating the cyclical shift of friendships coming and going, and life getting in the way.

This evocative piece is a powerful reminder of the necessity of female friendship in the attempt to find love, while also highlighting the risks present in an increasingly violent world.