The Wolves (Theatre Review)

Set in a small town in mid America, the Wolves is a funny and insightful into the lives of teenage girls as they approach womanhood. It lifts the lid on what these girls feel, discuss and generally get up to when not under the watchful eyes of their parents.

Writer Sarah De Lappe in her first play skilfully and sensitively weaves conversations that range from tampons, through the Khmer Rouge to South American migrants to enlighten us on the thoughts that dwell in these young minds.

Against a backdrop of soccer exercise routines the girls discuss a familiar range of funny, crude and often situations from heavy periods to taken the morning after pill in simple but yet deceptively powerful dialogue.

The audience is presented with a mix bag of characters who work so well together that it was difficult to pick a star performance. Promiscuous, diminutive and potty mouthed #7 (Lauren Grace) longs to be star of the team. Her bitchy interactions with her sexually naive close friend Rosabell Lauenti Sellers (#14) was a joy to watch and one of the many highlights of the production.

The inevitable gawky and awkward and eager to please outsider #46 (Annabel Baldwin) is travel weary and longs for a place she can call home.  Seraphina Beh (#00) is excellent as the anxiety ridden goalie. As too is Hannah Jarrett-Scott (#25) as the pumped up and highly competitive captain who punches out clichés like “teamwork makes the dream work” like an unfettered game show host.

Shalisha James-Davis (#8) is entertaining as the worldly social commentator of the group and provides many of the comedic moments in the play. Nina Bowers (#11), Francesa Henry (#2) and Rosie Sheehy (#13) all put in worthy performances.

The Wolves (the name of the soccer team) is fast paced and exuberant and full of many twists and turns. It may not be a gritty and edgy enough by UK standards, but the plot still packs enough of a punch to keep the audience engrossed till the very end.

This is definitely an entertaining feel good bubble gummy of a play. With a sharply observed script executed by fine set of actresses who play their roles with depth and intelligence there is little to fault. Highly enjoyable but definitely one for teenage girls, their guardians or boy s that are curious to get an idea of into the working of young girls.

The Wolves, 24 Oct-17 Nov, Theatre Royal Stratford, E15 1BN, For details and tickets visit: http://www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/the-wolves/438