Girls at Young Vic: Friendship Against Horror

TVS News AI redaktionell betreut präsentiert Girls am Young Vic: Freundschaft gegen Entsetzen.

Three Girls in the Forest – and a Horrifying Backdrop

Three teenage girls sit side by side, playing childhood games and laughing to drown out their fear. Then sudden blackouts and eerie sounds follow. At first, the scene resembles a post-apocalyptic play; gradually, you learn that the three Nigerian girls are schoolgirls hiding in the forest in 2015.

Their kidnappers are not named. However, clues in the plot point to Boko Haram. Director Ewa Dina explicitly refers to the Chibok girls in her program notes; they became known in connection with the mass abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014.

The Violence Remains Present, While Friendship Sustains the Scene

The central idea of “Girls” is clear: behind closed doors and a threatening setting, the three girls find hope and laughter. Their friendship does not seem like an idyllic counterworld, but rather a small, fragile support in a situation of extreme violence.

The Guardian describes the play as fierce and tender—both harsh and, at the same time, tender. This mixture explains why the production is more than a grim depiction of violence: it places the girls’ survival and bond at the center.

What the London Review Reveals About the Production

The set uses television screens on the back wall, switching radio frequencies on and off. An alien-looking structure hangs above the three girls. These visual ideas immediately create an intimate, threatened atmosphere, while information about identity, location, and pursuers is gradually revealed.

The source does not provide the girls’ names or all further details in its excerpt. As a result, the review also cannot say how long the performance lasts, how many actors are involved, or exactly how the play ends.

Why the Play Still Feels Uncomfortably Current

The plot refers to the abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014, but explicitly takes place in the forest in 2015. In doing so, “Girls” not only foregrounds historic headlines, but tells its story from the concrete situation of three veiled girls.

The plot makes clear that the young people are not merely victims of an organization. They play, joke, hold on to one another, and preserve a small community of their own. It is precisely this connection that makes the production so immediate.

Your Next Theater Visit: Strong Subject Matter, Clear Focus

“Girls” does not offer an easy evening. The setting of hiding, abduction, and Boko Haram demands respect for the absent victims. At the same time, the play focuses on a small, clearly defined ensemble and tells a compelling story of three friends’ solidarity.

If you enjoy complex subjects on stage and are open to an unusual, atmospheric production, London’s Young Vic looks like a worthwhile destination here. According to The Guardian, the production’s artistic achievement lies above all in bringing together the horror and the tenderness of friendship.

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Best of luck with your adaptation—and if you see “Girls,” watch how the three friends reclaim small moments of control.