Rip Her To Shreds comes to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, blending dark comedy and horror in a sharp satire of early 2000s girlhood and so-called “mean girl” culture.
Written by Isabelle Barbier, the play follows Beth and her dorm-mates as a break-up sends them spiralling into rivalry, obsession and increasingly dangerous behaviour. As tensions rise, the trio discover unexpected and volatile powers, pushing their relationships into chaotic territory.
Combining fast-paced physical comedy with a heightened, surreal tone, the production explores the pressure placed on young women and the way internalised expectations can turn destructive. Beneath the surface humour lies an examination of identity, social hierarchies and the emotional cost of fitting in.
Barbier said, “I started writing Rip Her To Shreds when I had a lot of my own girlish-rage to exorcise… The characters… are obsessed with boys, their bodies, and gossip. But beneath their ‘surfacey-ness’ lives anxious yearning, outrage and repression.”
Rip Her To Shreds runs at Underbelly Cowgate from 05 – 30 August at 12:35. Tickets are on sale here
