Girlhood In the Bathroom is a new musical from Australia making its Edinburgh Fringe debut. Set entirely around two sets of friends converge in a nightclub bathroom in a club over the course of one new years eve, it explores female friendship through conversations about exes, outfits their future and everything in between.
The book for Girlhood in the Bathroom has big ambitions but also a big heart. Throughout the show female friendship remains at the core but it also tries to deal with some bigger issues such as coming out to your friends, sexual assault, loneliness and female empowerment. Whilst all of these are interesting themes in isolation, cramming so many into a one-hour show means that several inevitably feel underexplored. The exploration of sexual assault, whilst sadly relevant to the nightclub setting arrives somewhat abruptly and although the right things are said, it feels disconnected from the wider story.
The strongest theme and the one that the show, quite rightly, returns to over and over is female friendship and on this front it clearly succeeds. The show isn’t afraid to explore how friendship can sometimes be messy and equally how being a woman in her 20s is tough. As someone who left their 20s a while ago I found myself feeling unexpectedly nostalgic and reminded me of when I was 16-25 and for such clear feeling to be stirred and for me to recognise elements of my own friendships in those that were being displayed on stage the book was clearly doing something right. The dialogue also flowed well and the patter between friends felt believable, girls asking each other to check each other, sharing lip gloss and other small rituals that make up a night out.
The songs explore everything from the rage behind being told women shouldn’t complain to hiding your true feelings, drinking and the complicated relationship women have with their own empowerment. The songs are not only to be admired in their breadth of topic but also in their variety of style. From upbeat numbers to slower ballads and many with rich harmonies these were songs that knew how to get a party started as well as when to slow things down for a moment of reflection. The standout moment for me was the finale with a series of affirmations repeated and whilst this could sound earnest on paper in the moment it felt empowering.
The five strong cast each have distinctive characters, complete with their own flaws and insecurities. Imogen Brown played Steph who was struggling to get over her ex and her best friend Gwen played by Sarah Eaton was feeling forgotten as Steph dealt with this. Equally, Kiya played by Amaya Patterson was busy pushing aside Zoe played by Hannah Manderson so she didn’t get too close to her and reveal her true feelings and finally Baylee played by Alice Quick is struggling to come to terms with her own trauma. There is a lot of story to fit into one hour but the cast succeeded in making their characters instantly recognisable. I particularly felt for Zoe who is increasingly left in the cold due to Manderson’s vulnerability in the part and equally Eaton had me firmly on side and cheering her on as she declared she could do better than her ex. The cast all came across as brilliantly genuine in their roles, with spot on comedy timing and vocals which really suited the huge variety of music they were delivering.
Girlhood In The Bathroom is an affectionate energetic celebration of female friendship that manages to capture the chaos and insecurities that comes with being a women in your 20s. Its ambition occasionally stretches beyond what can comfortably be explored in an hour with some of the heavier themes feeling underdeveloped, but when it focuses in the friendship at its heart it is both funny and genuinely affecting. With catchy music, a likeable cast and plenty of moments that will have anyone who has ever shared a bathroom with friends nodding along, this is an enjoyable addition to the Fringe.
Girlhood In the Bathroom is on at Gilded Balloon Teviot from 22:30-23:30 from the 13th – 22nd August. You can book tickets here.
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