EDINBURGH 2026: Review: GIRLFRIENDS-A NOT SO STRAIGHT PLAY, Greenside @ George Street
A not-so-straight play running until 29th August
Within moments of setting off, Scout is having a breakdown. It’s indicative – or a warning. She cries throughout the show; a 22-year-old theatre kid working through what feels like the worst breakup of all time.
Travel across the USA as two strangers become star-crossed soulmates, the whir of the fans like the constant hum of a car engine. Like many others, Scout (Sara Malinowski) is searching for the truth of who she is in places she doesn’t belong, learning that there is a difference between who someone really is and who they appear to be.
It is always a touch unsettling to be thrown in at the deep end of an emotional whirlpool, and a Herculean task to keep the audience on your side during it. With the tempo in constant flux, we witness an explosion of characters and fourth wall breaks, and it can be confusing. I found it hard to separate the impulse to reassure the character from the desire for the show itself to calm down, but the further into the chaos of her life she draws you, the more it starts to settle and make sense. This is a woman who lives every part of herself out loud, and she really finds herself at the climax of the show (you’ll know it when you see it).
A coming of age for queer Americans, never getting too heavy, it’s messy, frenetic, and honest. Best for those who’ve seen the vastness of a continent spread out around them and genuinely blue skies, love Shakespeare, or believe the universe will eventually have your back. My wish-upon-a-star would be to spend more time listening to her beautiful singing.
Girlfriends-A Not So Straight Play is at Greenside @ George Street until 30 August
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