Issy Cory
In a bunker, underneath the horrors of WW2, four queer women seek solace with one another. They drink, play games, fall in love, all within the small confines of their shelter. As the walls close in, revelations about each other threaten their tiny paradise.
Claudia’s husband is away fighting, Jude is in love with Claudia, Billie is desperate to avoid being reunited with hanger-on Harry, and V is hiding more than she cares to admit. As V-Day approaches, Claudia is faced with choosing between the safety of her marriage, and her new ‘fake’ wife Jude. Billie wants to get rid of Harry so that she and V can stay together forever, despite V’s desire to travel after the war is over.
Bachelor Girls has a killer script. The plot is delivered beautifully by four incredibly talented performers, and is successful in creating the conflicting comforts and dangers of the bunker. It is at once hilarious and soul-destroying, whisking us through the events that unravel in this claustrophobic cluster with stunning pace.
Clever sound bites cement us in the war-ridden world on the other side of the door. The space, complete with a radio and ‘We Can Do It!’ posters, resembles an attempt by the women to recreate a sense of home. The threat of this female-led utopia being ripped away from them as the war comes to a close is thus all the more heart-wrenching.
The venue is made up of a thrust stage, and it feels as though this factor was not fully taken into consideration when blocking the piece. Almost all the action is directed to the front, with performers often blocking sightlines, meaning we cannot but miss out on some of the fantastic action. This is further not helped by larger set pieces, configured in a way that frequently renders the performers unable to play to the sides.
Nevertheless, its fusion of a WW2 environment with punchy modern dialect is consistently entertaining. Characters are wonderfully crafted, containing complexities and imperfections that continue to resonate even after the show has ended. Bachelor Girls feels fresh and relevant, even if it’s set in a different century.
Recommended Drink: Rum from a flask.
You can catch Bachelor Girls at Greenside @ Riddles Court – Willow Studio from Aug 14-17 at 17:30. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Phoebe Bakker
Jake Mace
