Review: SHEWOLVES, Southwark Playhouse

Lou idolises Greta Thunberg and is skipping school as a protest against the shortcomings of climate action. Priya is struggling at home and jumps at the chance to skive off. A tale of teenage rebellion, climate change worries, and family tensions ensues. Sarah Middleton’s Shewolves was quite the success at Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year, so it’s not a surprise it’s now made its way to London. Directed by Hannah Stone, it’s a high-energy production with a young soul. Gurjot Dhaliwal (Priya) and Harriet Waters (Lou) are a close-knit cast, effortlessly comedic as they spiral into unforeseen panic.

With the pair coming from different social backgrounds, Middleton accidentally slips into stereotypical tropes without analysing them enough to resurface. She maintains a snappy pace, but the text sometimes fails its subject. While the story is fun, the direction is quick, and the actors give nuanced performances, there’s a feeling of unexploredness. Priya allegedly comes from a working-class household who don’t care about her, which seeps through casual comments about Lou’s lush house and posh freedom. On the other end, Lou is the sheltered, brainy child of a seemingly well-off single parent. She spends her weekends learning to use her new 3D printer and eats endless Pop-tarts.

We learn bits and pieces about both their situations, but Middleton doesn’t delve into the specifics. On one hand, this makes sense as the characters are 14-year-olds who wouldn’t exactly go into family politics and class dynamics, but it stifles the power of the piece too. Ultimately, the teens struggle to be heard regardless of their status. Dhaliwal’s portrayal is frighteningly lifelike. She introduces a character in search of a safe space, whose domestic communication is nonexistent and who feels abandoned by her own mother. Deeply traumatised by the sexual abuse she experiences at the hands of her mum’s boyfriend, Dhaliwal’s Priya freezes on the spot every time she attempts to speak about it. It’s a stunning, subtle physical performance.

She is matched in intensity by the high-strung personality Waters gives to her role. Lou is also alienated by her mum, whom she generally calls by her first name; she is a friendless overachiever who’s desperately afraid to flounder. Her punishment for striking gives her and Priya an excuse to run away. So, off they are to the Peak District (they live in Derby), where they essentially have an extended sleepover in a bothy with no serious plan. Chaos breaks out, everything ends well.

Middleton’s characters are incredibly authentic and the story is permeated by good-hearted cheer. It’s only unfortunate that it overlooks the step that would make it a profound look into climate change and sexual assault seen from the perspective of young girls. The two children bond and laugh. They know how to hurt one another the way only teens can, but also create a healthy sisterhood based on the communication they both lack in their family life.

Running at 60 minutes and free from the constraints of the Edinburgh Fringe, an extension in the length would definitely ease this small hitch. The audience immediately falls in love with Priya and Lou, they are a force to be reckoned with and a perfect rendition of the fire that lights up the new generations. Stone’s vision is indefatigable and maintains a rollicking pace throughout, aided by Eleanor Isherwood sound design, which bursts through the speakers with explosive rhythm during the scene changes and transitions. 

As it is, Shewolves shows all the promise and potential of an engaging, youth-centric, politically relevant play with equally great writing, direction, and company. It just needs a little push. 

Shewolves runs at Southwark Playhouse until 8 July.

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

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