PLAYFIGHT, Soho Theatre review
Zainab, Keira and Lucy have been best friends for years. They meet under the branches of an ancient oak tree, to discuss everything from nights out and school to sex, porn and church.
Playfight. Image credit Mihaela Bodlovic.
PLAYFIGHT opens as Keira (Sophie Cox) embarks on a high-octane tale of fake IDs, underage clubbing, and losing her virginity on the local tennis courts, filming the experience to prove it to her classmates. She rattles breezily through the story, triumphant and giddy, urging Zainab and Lucy to take action and lose their own virginity before they start sixth form the following year.
Despite Keira’s boisterous humour, it is the issues underpinning this conversation that PLAYFIGHT brilliantly explores over the course of the next 75 minutes. What follows is a heart-wrenching and brutally honest portrayal of navigating adolescence, changing desires and the teenage confusion of pleasure, shame and guilt.
Julia Grogan’s script brilliantly captures the opposing forces at play in the girls’ lives – a desperate yearning to grow up, counteracted by the unnerving reality that comes with being out on your own in the world. Whilst each character broadly speaks to a stereotype, they are brought to life with endearing force: innocent, church-going Lucy, who struggles with faith and identity in the face of her desires; Zainab, studying hard for GCSEs under her mother’s watchful eye and coming to terms with a sexuality she knows her family won’t accept; and brash, unruly Keira, whose bravado hides a challenging home life and uncertain future.
Playfight. Image credit Mihaela Bodlovic.
The three parts are acted brilliantly, the chemistry and intimacy between the trio undeniable. Most touching is the relationship between Zainab and Lucy. As Zainab realises she has more than platonic love for her friend, we watch as confused, conflicted Lucy is pulled away by her new boyfriend and turns her back on any chance of reciprocation.
PLAYFLIGHT is complemented by an adept creative team. Hazel Low’s set is effortlessly simple - a single ladder acts as the oak tree and a bed of wood chips is instantly reminiscent of school playgrounds – whilst Roley Bothas’ sound design takes us from the amped up highs of sexually charged pop music to moments of profound sadness without missing a beat.
It is perhaps only guilty of trying to do too much in the allotted time – issues including suicide, alcoholism and sex work are briefly introduced, but hover in the wings, waiting to be explored in more depth.
This is a production that packs a punch. In the wake of hit Netflix drama Adolescence, it feels all the more relevant. Moments of laughter give way to heartbreak, and it addresses important issues with a refreshingly brutal honesty. It is an astonishing and thought-provoking debut from Julia Grogan.
PLAYFIGHT is showing at the Soho Theatre until 26 April 2025. Find out more here.
Review by Ellen Hodgetts
