Girlfriends | Jade Studio at Greenside (Ed Fringe)

Getting over someone you love isn’t easy. Finding out who you are without them is even harder. Writer/Performer Sara Malinoswki’s cross-country odyssey dives deep into both, telling her ‘true enough’ story of a 2014 road trip that’s equal measures joyous and reflective. She plays both Scout, a weepy 22-year old on an impulsive road trip to find herself after a breakup, and the stranger she brings along for the ride.

As a one-person performance the whole show rests on Sara’s performance and she pulls it off without the slightest wobble, her confident delivery and disarmingly charming honesty bringing us into Scout’s world. Sara jumps from Shakespearean soliloquies to discussions on dolphin orgasms, swapping between characters and emotions to weave a rich background on which the feelings and humour shine through. The show is full of song, all neatly fit into the world and each serving to reflect Scout’s mood.

Scout’s ‘friendship’ with her newfound partner is beautifully spun out over the course of the hour, banter giving way to revelations and every confrontation serving as a springboard to deeper understandings without coming off as manufactured. There’s an impressive level of description and vulnerability throughout the dialogue, both between the characters and at the fourth wall breaking monologues.

At its heart, Girlfriends is a story about overcoming, going through what hurts you and finding the rainbows that lie beyond it. While the strong writing and direction keep you interested, it’s the central themes and Sara’s engaging acting that keep you invested for the play’s full runtime, down to the final crooning bars. A show with a strong future that’s well worth the watch.

Girlfriends plays at various times at the Jade Studio at Greenside - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review