REVIEW: NINE MOONS by Nilgin Yusuf at Bridge House Theatre 23 - 27 April

‘This rites-of-passage story offers a gory, feminist call-to-arms’ ★★★ ½

Nine Moons offers a gothic twist on a modern coming-of-age story following three teenage girls learning to embrace puberty, feminism, and the differences between them. With a strong ensemble, simple set and shocking plot twists, Nine Moons is sure to leave a lasting impression.

Rarely does a three-hander offer each character a unique arc, yet in Nine Moons, writer Nilgün Yusuf skilfully presents three complicated, well-rounded teenage girls. Portrayed by Selma Alkaff, the centric character Sage offers comic relief, earnestness, and an unashamed desire to be educated. Sophie Andrea plays both new girl Loukia and mythical Bearded Iris – offering a vampire like presence on stage: alluring, intriguing, hell-raising. Ella McCallum plays the insecure yet bullyish Danni, who offers a grounding presence to the descent into absurdity. Danäe Cambrook’s direction shows off the characters well, utilising the performance space to allow for slick ensemble and individual performances. The characters’ chemistry is brilliantly believable, inviting the audience into a false sense of security.

Cambrook’s outlandish use of gore and horror was impressive, entertainingly shocking the audience and the characters both. This elevated the script well, and ironically humanised the characters, making them more relatable to the audience as their stories became more disturbing. Tackling the supernatural and the realism is often tricky to balance, yet this production manages it successfully.

Often, the repetitive transitions between scenes, combined with the lack of set change, left the new scene location reliant on the actors to introduce. Whilst the use of other theatrical devices was cleverly subtle, perhaps more could be done to bring the audience straight into the scene, particularly in the second half when the intensity and stakes start dramatically rising. This could extend further to portray the passing of time: the play is set over nine lunar cycles, hence the title Nine Moons, yet this unfortunately was not clear. Given this is so imperative to the story, outside of dialogue there is no other acknowledgement that time passes more than a few months.

Overall, Nine Moons is a shocking, thought-provoking, entertaining production – portraying relatable themes through a gothic lens. Placed well into the 13+ bracket, this rites-of-passage story offers a gory, feminist call-to-arms.

Images by: Jasmine de Silva

REVIEW: NINE MOONS by Nilgin Yusuf at Bridge House Theatre 23 - 27 April 2024

Box Office: https://thebridgehousetheatre.co.uk/shows/nine-moons/

Cast

SELMA ALKAFF

Sage

ELLA MCCALLUM

Danni

SOPHIE ANDREA

Loukia & Bearded Iris

Artistic Team

Director

DANÄE CAMBROOK

Writer

NILGÜN YUSUF, SPECIALIST CONSULTANT: DR. JAZMINA CININAS

Lighting Designer

ALEX TEIXIDÓ BLOUNA

Sound Designer

VANESSA GARBER

Reviewed by Anna Rastelli