Composed of several monologues centred around sex, A Girl Gets Naked In This is an incredibly moving and powerful production displaying the spectrum of sexual relationships experienced by young women. Created by People You Know productions, following a sold out run in St Andrews, A Girl Gets Naked In This ran from August 20-26 in the Bedlam Theatre as part of Edinburgh Fringe. The performance is a testament to the production company’s ethos of bringing student written, directed, and performed plays to the stage. Each monologue begins with a girl turning on a floor lamp to illuminate the minimalist set, consisting of Diet Coke cans, worn paperbacks and a bra skewed over a messy bed, before delivering their monologue and switching the lamp back off as they exit.
The performance opens with ‘my ex-boyfriend refused to let me say his name during sex’ by Loulou Sloss, whose comical writing and lively performance set a high standard for the pieces to follow. Isy Platt then entered the stage performing ‘Lolita’ by Nicole Sellew, which holds a mirror to all the girls who experienced hooking up with an older partner and being on the cusp of maturity. ‘Catcalling’ by Catherine Byrne then followed suit, performed by Ameilla Stoked which encapsulates the burn out a lot of women feel constantly facing sexual harassment in daily life as the cycle begins to repeat. Byrne’s second monologue in the showcase, ‘Chapati,’ also explores the cyclical nature of relationships through the protagonist’s relationship with her mother. Nicole Sellew’s pieces entitled ‘Glasgow,’ ‘Loaded gun’ and ‘beak and claws,’ explore a darker side of relationships from dreaming of being fucked with a loaded gun, to discussing the thrill of being a mistress and touching on revenge porn. Each of her monologues are expertly written and the talented performers of each piece, Emily Christaki, Daisy Patersin and Ava Cecile respectively, bring an explorative and often comedic performance in tackling these topics. The penultimate performance is ‘Potato girl,’ by Piper richardson, that is performed by Lexie Dykes who peels potatoes as she slowly realises that in an attempt to not “be like other girls,” she inadvertently has become one. The show finishes with the performance ‘Escarlet Johannson,’ hilariously written and performed by Scarlett Tew before the bedside lamp is turned off for the final time.
“The combination of raw, witty writing with dynamic actors who create an actor-audience relationship from the moment they switch on the bedroom lamp make this production completely mesmerising”
Each monologue is thought provoking and reflective of navigating the world of relationships as a girl in your twenties. The combination of raw, witty writing with dynamic actors who create an actor-audience relationship from the moment they switch on the bedroom lamp make this production completely mesmerising. I am excited to see what these talents produce next.
