Girlhood is an hour-long play being performed at Greenside @ Riddles Court in the Thistle Theatre.
This show takes place across New Year’s Eve parties, during which three generations of the same family are all asked to make the same decision – should they have a child? Olivia Hollreiser plays Nancy, who is looking for a date for her family dinner the next day and dreams of having a little girl. Kathryn Lincoln portrays Ivy, who finds herself stuck in a bathroom at a New Year’s Eve party, taking a pregnancy test and wondering if she is too young to be a mother. Finally, Demi Wilson-Smith plays Deja, who doesn’t think that she wants kids, even though her long-term boyfriend (Warren Graham) does.
Girlhood is a play about motherhood and the relationship a mother has with her daughter. The script is beautifully written, tackling the complicated subject of whether or not to have a baby, and the different pressures a mother feels over how best to raise their child.
Lincoln is wonderful as Ivy; their delivery of lines is always precise, and the interactions they share with Helen Chong (who plays “Party Girl”) are hilarious. Hollreiser is captivating as Nancy; at one point, they stare out into the audience as they monologue about their future daughter, and it truly feels as though Nancy is staring into her future. James Bryden Rodgers (playing “Young Man”) provides the light relief in Nancy’s scenes, and their onstage chemistry makes for an incredibly enjoyable watch.
Wilson-Smith gives a layered performance as Deja. They capture her conflicting feelings about her mother and their desire to learn how to be their own person, rather than having a child when they feel like they’re not ready to do so.
There were a few moments during the play when the actors would miss their cues or begin their lines too early, causing it to seem a little unpolished. Despite this, Girlhood is an incredibly enjoyable, witty, and thought-provoking play.
