★★★★★
Some theatre experiences leave an impression, and then there’s Girls & Boys—a production that grips you and doesn’t let go until long after you’ve left the auditorium. Filthy, funny, heartbreaking, and devastatingly powerful, Dennis Kelly’s blistering one-woman play is brought to life in a captivating performance by Aisling Loftus. This is theatre at its most raw, its most human, and—quite simply—its most unmissable.
Clocking in at 115 minutes, this monologue demands an actor of extraordinary skill, and Loftus delivers in spades. She has the audience in the palm of her hand, effortlessly weaving between humour and heartbreak, between intimacy and distance. Her storytelling is so natural, so deeply engaging, that it feels as though she is speaking directly to each audience member individually. Not once does the energy falter, not once does the narrative lose its grip.
Dennis Kelly’s script introduces us to an unnamed woman who recounts her past relationships with comedic abandon, moving through her “slut phase” before settling down with a man she falls in love with after a comically British encounter in an airport queue. The early scenes are like an observational comedy routine—honest, blunt, and genuinely funny. The audience instantly connects with Loftus, revelling in her cynicism, her insights, her no-filter approach to life. It’s rare to find a play with as many laughs as an Edinburgh Fringe comedy hit, but Girls & Boys delivers.
But this is not just a play about love, lust, and queuing etiquette. It is something much deeper. Loftus shifts seamlessly between her direct-address storytelling and memory sequences with her young children—scenes so beautifully observed, so painfully real, they feel like stolen moments from an actual family’s life. Whether it’s her daughter getting lost in a supermarket or her kids squabbling over a broken clay ornament, these moments ground the character in reality, making her joys and pains feel authentic. It’s an exceptional storytelling device, keeping the monologue visually and emotionally dynamic.
And then, just as we are lulled into that comedic fleece of comfort, just as we feel safe in the warm embrace of her enticing anecdotes, Dennis Kelly pulls the rug out from under us. The mood shifts. The laughter fades. The darkness creeps in.
Her husband, once the charming, funny man, begins to unravel. A downturn in his career, a growing resentment, a fragile male ego—small cracks in the foundation that build into an unbearable tension. There is a moment of revelation in Girls & Boys, a single line that, when delivered, caused the audiences heart’s to collectively halt for just a moment. The auditorium falls into a thick silence under the weight of the story — this is a moment of theatre I will never forget.
Loftus is nothing short of sensational. She navigates the script’s shifts in tone with absolute precision, controlling the pace masterfully—letting the comedic moments land but never lingering too long, allowing the heartbreak to settle but never indulging in sentimentality. She is dynamic, expressive, and completely in control. Although no physical violence is depicted on stage, Loftus’s vivid delivery makes each description land with a heavy impact and perfect aim. If there is a single quibble, it’s that while her physicality and facial expressions convey devastating grief, at times, her vocal delivery remains a touch too controlled. A little more vulnerability in those final moments could elevate an already outstanding performance even further.
But this is not just a solo effort. Girls & Boys is an exceptional collaboration between actor and creative team. Director Anna Ledwich brings clarity and depth to an intricate, layered script, ensuring that every moment feels earned. Janet Bird’s set design is stylish yet understated, allowing the performance to remain front and centre. Matt Haskins’ lighting design helps in shifting between memory and reality, whilst also reflecting the mood. Every detail is crafted with care, ensuring that the storytelling remains gripping from start to finish.
It’s difficult to review Girls & Boys without wanting to dissect its twists and turns, but this is a play best experienced with as little prior knowledge as possible. Just know this: it is powerful. It is unforgettable. And it is utterly essential.
Of course, at the heart of this triumph is Dennis Kelly’s writing, famed for Matilda the Musical. Kelly has an ability to combine humour with harrowing realism, to layer his narratives with intricate foreshadowing, to deliver a story that is both deeply personal and universally resonant—it’s masterful. Every observation, every joke, every throwaway remark pays off later in ways you don’t see coming. This is brilliantly dark and enticing writing from Kelly, but more than that it has been presented incredibly by the creative team, ensuring that not a moment on the stage is wasted.
Girls & Boys is a story that grips you with laughter before leaving you winded with grief. It is a thought provoking play that explores what makes us tick as human. Yes, there is strong language, sexual references, and graphic descriptions of physical violence — which may not be for everyone. But it is also laced with humour, humanity, and moments of profound insight.
Nottingham Playhouse has brought an absolute triumph to the stage. Girls & Boys is a side-splitting, gut-wrenching, breathtaking piece of theatre that will stay with you. If you have the chance to see it, don’t hesitate. Playing at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday, 1st March 2025.
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