EDINBURGH 2021: Review: AFTERPARTY, The Space

Written by Rachel O'Regan and directed by Hannah McEachern Afterparty is the debut production from Scottish theatre company F-Bomb Theatre. I have only seen a few in-person performances at this years festival but its safe to say Afterparty has the clearest rules as one of the cast opens with "put your phone off, keep your mask on and don't be f**king rude".

A group of five friends have just finished their last day at school and are heading out into town to celebrate. Afterparty is high-energy and great fun from the get-go as the girls dress up for their big night out while dancing to iconic pop hits and throwing back test tube shots.

As the girls get more intoxicated, they decide to break into their old school and trash their least favourite teachers office. Things go slightly further than planned and we then cut to several months down the line when the girls are reunited in orange jumpsuits for 300 hours of community service.

Afterparty is a brilliantly executed piece of theatre that examines the expectations for girls who have grown up on council estates in small towns. The ones who plan to make it out of their hometown are accused of "thinking they're better". The script is fantastic as it is wickedly funny throughout without making light of the serious societal issues the girls face.

Afterparty is a thoroughly enjoyable and riotous play that is backed up with a strong cast and an important message.

Afterparty runs at The Space until 28 August.

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