We Used To Be Girl Scouts
thespace on the Mile (Venue 39) until 24 August
JJJJ
“Being a girl isn’t all bad, but when it’s bad it’s terrible,” reflects Drew (Trystan Youngjohn) at one point as she considers her future.
Things certainly do seem
pretty terrible for the three US teenage girls in this fresh and funny new play by Edinburgh-based American writer Emery Schaffer. However, their challenges are faced with a blast of winning, positive energy.
Drew has recently lost her virginity and thinks she’s pregnant. Sasha (Samuela Noumtchuet) loves her best friend (who just happens to be Drew) and is trying to pluck up the courage to tell her and come out as “a BIG lesbian!” Mary (Hannah-mae Engstrom) is contemplating running away from her abusive father. The three girls head off to the woods to consider their options.
Schaffer is dealing with serious themes here and clearly recognises that there’s no emotions so big as the ones you encounter in adolescence, but she also acknowledges the boundless optimism and sense of fun that’s part and parcel of the experience.
This is brought to the fore by an absolute crackerjack trio of performances from the cast; there’s a real sense of authenticity and camaraderie here that proves infectious.
There’s also a real confidence and sense of visual invention to this production directed by Kate Stamoulis. The set dressing smoothly transforms from three pregnancy test sticks to public toilet stalls to a verdant forest.
Like a teenager, it’s never content to sit too long yet doesn’t give any of its characters short shrift. It’s a positive, funny piece and a dynamite showcase for its exceptionally talented cast.