Walk Swiftly and With Purpose: a debut to remember
Simultaneously playful and insightful, this play offers a brilliantly realistic and nostalgic glimpse into the lives of four teenage girls as they navigate growing up in the 21st century.
Three Sisters’ production company, brainchild of Siofra, Grainne, and Cara Dromgoole, immediately throws us into the world of a group of schoolgirls on the cusp of adulthood. Eve, Lana, Robbie, and Misha, despite the deep and powerful themes they explore together, ultimately represent the unflinching devotion and love between friends, all the way through the chaotic teenage years that resonate with us all. They’re hilariously relatable, albeit a bit pretentious, living sheltered lives in the comfort of an all-girls private school. We meet them at the exact moment they suddenly encounter real-life problems and have to learn to deal with them. No longer existing in their fantasies of what adulthood is, they realise it may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
When I read that this is Siofra Dromgoole’s first live play as a writer, I was surprised. Her inexperience is unnoticeable, with a script that artfully combines witty repartee between the girls with serious and, at times, deeply unsettling scenes between Mr Hughes and Misha – teacher and student, as well as sudden intense monologues directed towards the audience by each character. This rapid switching between naturally flowing, light-hearted conversation and emotional, vulnerable soliloquys to the audience is a bold choice – done poorly it has the potential to derail the entire play – but somehow the transitions are effortless, in spite of the abrupt changes of tone, most likely thanks to the excellent direction of Imy Wyatt Corner. It elevates the play from simply being four somewhat privileged girls talking about typical teenage troubles, to something much more thought-provoking.
The extraordinary potential of the all-female crew behind this production is unprecedented; the way I see it, the sky is the limit considering the resounding success of this play. I only wish it were longer than 50 minutes – with exceptional performances from rising stars with great chemistry, I could have easily continued watching the lives of these characters unfold for another hour.
Unfortunately, by the time of this article publishing, the show will no longer be showing, but keep a watchful eye out for the next Three Sisters production – I can assure you it is not to be missed! Now, I only wish I could Walk Swiftly and With Purpose back to the theatre to see this show one more time.
-5 stars
