Women of Will is an hour-long performance directed by Michelle Joyner and written by Siofra Dromgoole, based on Tina Packer’s book. It is currently being performed in the Library Gallery at Summerhall.
It follows the budding friendship between Ava (Ella Loudon), who works in a pub but who aspires to attend drama school, and Jack (Nigel Gore), a professional actor. Jack spots Ava as she’s rehearsing and offers to give her some pointers for her audition. In the process, the two of them form an unexpected friendship and examine together the evolution of how women in Shakespeare’s plays are written and portrayed.
Loudon is entirely captivating in their role as Ava, and gives a stunning performance when taking on the various roles from Shakespeare throughout the production. Loudon manages to capture Ava’s uncertainty about acting out Shakespeare in a way that makes it hard to believe Ava isn’t really the one performing Juliet’s balcony scene. Their performance of Lady Macbeth’s speech is chilling, and it is impossible to look away from them throughout.
Gore, too, gives a fantastic performance in Women of Will, bringing Jack to life with a lot of charm and thoughtfulness that is a strong contrast to the more open character of Ava. Notably, Gore’s performance as Othello is truly indescribable in its intensity.
The Library Gallery is an ideal stage for a show such as this, giving the performance a more immersive feel, with the audience feeling as though they are in Ava’s pub, and Gore and Loudon make great use of the space, walking between the tables and playing with the lighting in an effective way that makes the whole act feel genuine.
Women of Will is a thought-provoking and heartwarming play about friendship and encourages the audience to take a closer look at characters from Shakespearean writing in a different light. Loudon and Gore have good chemistry on stage, making their unusual friendship seem all the more real, and they are both amazing performers, resulting in an incredibly entertaining show.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
