The Girls I Look Up To - Review!

I had the pleasure of getting to watch The Girls I Look Up To and was touched by this captivating performance. The play follows the birthday celebrations of Evelyn over the years as time passes and the characters progress through their lives. It explores grief in such a profound way whilst highlighting the importance of having strong female friendships.

I immediately have to give credit to the insane talent that were the four actresses in the cast. Amelie Manning played Bonnie and was so versatile in her ability to switch between ages as well as her narration. She made all of her choices so clear and not one of her actions went unnoticed. She created such a lovable and genuine character which was a joy to watch.

Georgia Maguire truly lived up to her characters introduction of being "beautiful, vulnerable, assertive, and incredibly empathetic". She gave a stellar performance as Gen, particularly in a monologue she delivers towards the end of the show, in which she kept me hooked on every single word that she delivered with her raw and poignant acting skills. It was a truly beautiful perfomance.

Anna Cleden played Rose and her acting was so balanced, from the more joyful scenes to giving me major goosebumps with her vulnerability and breakdown. Her drunk performance was insanely convincing, she completely blew me away. Every scene she was in, she absolutely owned. Jess Dix played Evelyn and she captured the character’s naivety in a way that felt incredibly sincere. The innocence she brought to the character felt so natural and genuine.

Together, all four of these sensational actresses had the incredible ability to create tension whilst maintaining the comfort that you can tell the characters feel around each other and are familiar with.

What impressed me most was that there were so many moments of silence throughout the show, and not a single one of them fell flat. Engagement was kept constantly and the shared stillness was truly encapsulating.

The show as a whole gave such a tender and hopeful feeling. The ability to jump in an instant from a happy scene to a deeper one was truly shocking and so beautifully done.

I also loved the use of the aisle to set the only scene which does not take place within the room set on stage, it created a clear difference for the audience and additionally made the scene feel so much more immersive.

I feel like I am at the perfect age to have watched this show as being able to look back on the past, focus on the present, and think about the future made it such a reflective and eye-opening experience.

The Girls I Look Up To is a thought-provoking and truly heartwarming exploration of grief and friendship. The way in which each character handles the loss differently is so real and beautiful. I ask that you take any opportunity you can to see this show, it is running at Riverside Studios until the 16th of August.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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