REVIEW: A Woman Called Girl at The Lion and Unicorn/ Camden Fringe 20 - 21 Aug 2023

‘A simply stunning piece of theatre’ ★★★★★ 

Fringe theatre festivals are not only a great way to see good affordable theatre in a welcoming environment; they also provide artists with a space to push the boundaries of their artforms and produce shows which would otherwise be overlooked. Sometimes these shows cultivate ideas and sometimes they are so good that the festivals serve purely as a platform for the creatives involved. A Woman Called Girl should certainly fall under the latter.

The moment you enter the theatre, the intrigue of what is about to unfold has already begun. The four female performers are on-stage, sitting identically and motionless as you take your seat while a disconcerting breathing score plays in the background. As the theatre door closes, the actors jump to life in unison, gracefully flowing in their all-white outfits around nine white cubes. The entire arrangement is mesmerising.

From here we meet our main character, or at least versions of her, played by all four women. They each encompass a part of her personality, not in a schizophrenic way but in the way that they serve as her inner conflicts, guiding her and misleading her through life. It’s a terrific concept which helps explore multiple themes, from childhood pressures of meeting expectations to eating disorders and feeling pretty.

The production wouldn’t be what it is without four strong performances and Milja Marttila, Cristina Parracho, Chloe Winney and Sarah Majland unquestionably deliver on this front. It is not only their individual performances (including taking on the roles of every other character in the play between them) but how they work together which gives the play its energy. They move seamlessly between each other, working as one between the short scenes and integrating a variety of physical elements while they transform the set.

At no point in the play do you ever lose interest in what is taking place in front of you, and this has a lot to do with the direction and writing from Majland and Marttila respectively. They have created scenes which are both entertaining and funny while remaining sensitive at the core. There is a roller coaster of emotions put on display and yet somehow none of them feel out of place. The original music by Öncel Camci also provides the perfect ambience to what unfolds.

A Woman Called Girl is the debut production from London based theatre group Quid Pro Quo Theatre and based on their work here it most definitely won’t be their last. The play is a simply stunning piece of theatre which once again emphasises the importance of festivals such as The Camden Fringe.

A Woman Called Girl at The Lion and Unicorn 20 - 21 Aug

Quid Pro Quo Theatre on twitter @QuidProQuoTHTR

Performed by:

Milja Marttila

Cristina Parracho

Chloe Winney

Sarah Majland

Writer: Milja Marttila

Director: Sarah Majiland

Assistant Director: Boyan Petrov

Original Music by Öncel Camci

Reviewed by John Montgomery