EDINBURGH 2026: Reviews: GILRZ, Gilded Balloon
Girlz runs at Edfringe until 30 August
Girlz is a musical about a manufactured pop group written by Daf Hughes.
Nicky has just landed her dream gig, a place in a brand new pop band manufactured by a big name in the industry. She’s lived with her boyfriend since they were seventeen and he’s a musician too but he’s mistrustful of the pop industry and prefers indie/folk.
Nicky is grouped with her best friend Alex and introduced to three other girls who will be part of their new band. They have ten days to record because all their music has already been written for them.
The rest of the plot of the show is where you need to suspend your disbelief. The girls are immediately wildly successful and their first tour has them selling out stadiums in under three months.
There’s some vague sort of girl power narrative and the band becomes really close because they’re going through the same thing together. Their individual personalities come out and it would appear that none of them are really suited to this lifestyle.
There’s a whole host of cliches such as evil managers and addiction issues but none of these are portrayed particularly well.
The pop songs are hit or miss, but the more folksy ones are genuinely good. The cast have decent voices and the choreography is slick but plot-wise Girlz feels like a bit of a chore.
Get Broadway News on WhatsApp
Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.
|
Antigone 1989: A Town Hall Musical Gilded Balloon Patter House (8/05-8/29) |
|
Target Audience Pleasance Courtyard (Above) (8/05-8/30) |
|
I'm Still Not That Girl Braw Venues (8/07-8/30) |
|
Nothing Personal Gilded Balloon (8/18-8/31) |
|
The Steamie Alhambra Theatre (10/29-10/31) |
|
The Time of Your Life The Voodoo Rooms (8/10-8/24) |
|
The List Festival Awards W Edinburgh (8/28-8/28) |
|
One Man Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum Greenside Venue @ Riddles Court (Willow Studio) – Venue 16 - 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PG (8/08-8/28) |
|
The Three Marias Voices Collective (8/26-8/31) |
|
It Couldn’t Get Worse; or, The Margarita Boat Tour Incident Venue 45 at theSpace (8/24-8/29) |
Reader Reviews
To post a comment, you must register and login.