Review: PURPLE SNOWFLAKES AND TITTY WANKS, Royal Court

What do nuns, granola bars and a string of pearls all have in common? It sounds like the start of a bad joke but really, they're all part of Sarah Hanly's vibrant one-woman show, Purple Snowflakes and Titty Wanks.

The play is a continual conversation between 15-year-old gutsy Irish teen, Saoirse Murphy, and her childhood best friend Ashling. Hanly flits sharply between Saoirse, Ashling and 26 other characters, crafting a messy world that's filled to the brim with thrusting, grinding, and agonising grief.

Commanded by her lusting libido and a desire for success, Saoirse appears timeless as a self-conscious narrator, offering snapshots of her life through a series of slick vignettes. Her rebellious nature is comparable to Jo March from Little Women, as she attempts to escape the constraints of her religious upbringing for the bright lights of London town.

There is a continued desperation to experience autonomy, inspired by Saoirse's eccentric performance as the King in her school production of Antigone. This desire for gendered power never ceases and is almost as insufferable for Saoirse as some of her more painful trauma.

Jacob Lucy's angular set appears as a skate ramp covered in bright-yellow carpet and perfectly mirrors Hanly's playful approach to teenage anarchy. The vastness of the stage and lack of scenery draws focus to the contents of Saoirse's bum bag, which contains a myriad of hilarious props used to further embellish her whimsical world.

Lighting by Elliot Griggs is transformative in the space, with deep hues of violet and red flooding the stage for scenes of BDSM and private revelations of shame. Saoirse confides in Ashling that she might be a lesbian but struggles with confirming that identity: "I'm a purple, that's nice. I'm going to call myself a purple, Ashling." In the blink of an eye, a flash of orange, pink and purple tones hit the stage, suggestive of the colours in the lesbian flag.

Behind the clowning there is an immense sense of sorrow and numerous candid discussions about anorexia and bulimia. At only 15 years old, Saoirse is still a child and there's never a moment left to forget that her suffering is immediately present. Strong choices by director Alice Fitzgerald and intimacy director Yarit Dor allow Hanly to navigate Saoirse's trauma delicately whilst still maintaining a sense of humour and chaos. Physicality is well established throughout with punchy movement by Rachel Nanyonjo.

Purple Snowflakes is semi-autobiographical and, although difficult to watch at times, Hanly's vulnerability as a writer and performer is bold and refreshing. She is currently working on a number of commissions for theatre and television and is the owner of production company, Dóchas Pictures.

At the heart of the humour is an accomplished script that's saturated with unbridled female rage. The heavy baggage of her trauma is reflected in every interaction, but Saoirse continues to define her beliefs against her religious conviction: "My wish is to remember the female body, at every age and stage. Because I think they should be made holy."

Purple Snowflakes and Titty Wanks at the Royal Court until 12 February

Photo credit: Luca Truffarelli

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