Review: Guest Reviewer Kym Vaitiekus Shares His Thoughts On FANGIRLS.

Wednesday 3rd February 2021, 7.30pm. Seymour Centre.

BWW REVIEW: Guest Reviewer Kym Vaitiekus Shares His Thoughts On FANGIRLS.

Belvoir in its wisdom and joy presents a return season of Fangirls. Music, book and lyrics by Yve Blake with direction by Paige Rattray. This duo has created a dream work that will cement its way into Australian theatre history.

Fangirls follows the pain and pleasure of teenage youth. Edna (Karis Oka) is obsessed by Harry (Aydan) a boy band pop star. Her preoccupation is shared with her friends, across the internet and at school.

It brings unity and division as this group of teenagers deal with the notion of love as seen through the ideology of top ten hits. They question, fight, and make crazy choices as they follow the boyband stars that proclaim a philosophy of love.

While Edna writes fanfiction about her relationship with Harry, her friends also claim undying love for the pop guru. They all struggle with the need to fit in, to look Instagram ready, to have a boyfriend, to be accepted, to ask the question "What if this is it?"

This exploration into seeking fulfilment is shared with Edna's friends, Jules (Chika Ikogwe), Brianna (Shubshri Kandiah) and Salty (James Majoos). They all discover, are disappointed by and struggle to understand where they fit in the world. What does love actually mean for them. They do not feel their parent's devotion and turn to those who profess to have undying amounts of love to give - the boy band heroes.

Are fangirls hysterical teenagers or empowered beings able to make their own choice of which passion to follow. Diehard sports fans are encouraged to boast about their enthusiasm, while teenage girls are dismissively labelled for being devoted to theirs.

This journey of teenage troubles is expressed through the infectious music and lyrics of Yve Blake. With the superb choreography of Leonard Mickelo.

Paige Rattray's direction excels in creating a unified piece that examines the themes with various layers, some playful, others with depth and meaning.

Rattray marries the staging, the music, and performances with a joyous flair. She has deftly led her team to create a new work that explores and uses all the devices of this social media world.

This team includes Music Director Zara Stanton,Set, Video Content and Costume Designer David Fleischer,Video Content Design and Production Justin Harrison,Lighting Designer Emma Valente, Choreographer Leonard Mickelo and Sound Designer Michael Waters. All deserve mention for their contribution to this excellent work..

At times I wondered if Fangirls was making light of the teenage issues at hand. But what it did so superbly was present the trauma of growing up with truth and playfulness. This leads to appreciating the demands of life while showing that one way to survive is to have an fun and humorous approach. Everyone deals with life using their own perspective, sometimes our perspectives clash. Fangirls shows us one point of view that is real, yet joyous.

The performances of all the cast expertly combine truth, soap opera dramatics with youthful exuberance. You laugh at their antics and childish behaviour yet feel connected with their joys and angst. The music and lyrics wonderfully combine with this mise en scene to present the characters' journeys in this wonderous performance.

This is a powerhouse event: musical, concert, drama, comedy. All staged with brilliance, enthusiasm, finesse, and joy.

Become a fangirl of FANGIRLS, then you'll be part a jewel that is this expert piece of Australian musical theatre.

photo credit: Brett Boardman

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