REVIEW: WE WEREN’T INNOCENT; WE WERE GIRLS by Eleanor Boes at White Bear Theatre 16 – 20 July 2024

“We’re capable of terrible things.” ★★★★

A true crime podcaster delves into the murder of schoolgirl Hannah Burnsley, who was brutally killed in a quiet English town. The play reveals the events leading up to the tragedy and explores themes such as mental health, the intensity of female teenage friendships, domestic abuse, male violence, sexual assault, sexuality and obsession.

The psychologically disturbed and emotionally fraught Flo has a falling out with her best friend, Hannah. So begins her obsession with seeking revenge and manipulating their other friend, Daisy, who is vulnerable and easily led, into causing Hannah’s demise. We see the build-up to the murder and then the aftermath.

Witnessing Flo’s calculated manipulation and lack of remorse is chilling, and it’s played beautifully off-kilter by Allie Aylott. The entire cast are superb. Strong performances abound, filled with nuance and compelling characterisation. Liv Holder in particular as Louise Burnsley, the victim's mother, manages an impressive turn as a grief stricken mother, distraught and angry, and struggling to piece her life back together.

The script, by Eleanor Boes, is strong, and the dialogue snappy and realistic - you believe in these girls and their friendship. It also takes an amusing swipe at societies current obsession with devouring the grisly details of true crime, mocking the podcaster who fangirls over the murderers and is oblivious to the pain that her tactless enquiries cause to all those involved.

The lighting is atmospheric, the use of torches during a key moment adds to the urgency and chaos of the scene. The soundtrack is a series of moody, contemporary music that’s both jarring and fitting. The set is creatively designed - the walls strewn in newspaper clippings and curtains that represent a juxtaposition between worlds - the safe and cosy domestic world, and the brutality of the murder in printed headlines.

“We Weren’t Innocent; We Were Girls” is a fantastic production and a promising start to a new theatre company that champions LGBTQ+ and female led stories. I look forward to seeing more from them.

WE WEREN’T INNOCENT; WE WERE GIRLS by Eleanor Boes at White Bear Theatre 16 – 20 July 2024

Presented by Lucid Blue Stories

Box Office https://www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk/whatson/we-weren't-innocent%3B-we-were-girls

Instagram: @lucidbluestories

X: @lucidbluetweets

Reviewer Annie Power is the Artistic Director of Open Page Productions, and an award-winning writer and producer.