Posh Girls – Kings Head Theatre, Islington

Writers: Harriet Chomley & Sophie Robertson
Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Funny Friendship“

4 / 5

It’s been 12 years since ex best-friends Alexandra and Hermione last saw each other. They were inseparable at boarding school but have both been through a lot of changes in the past decade, so can they repair their once unbreakable friendship or is there no going back?

The last place Alexandra (Harriet Chomley) and Hermione (Sophie Robertson) expected to bump into each other was in a waiting room at their therapist’s office. Alexandra is struggling after her divorce, while Hermione never quite recovered from a traumatic incident and experiences of bullying back in school. Initially apprehensive about sparking up a conversation together, curiosity gets the better of them, and they grill each other about their new lives and why they’re seeking therapy. Their present-day conversations are interspersed with flashbacks to their past in school together – the good, the bad, and the very, very sad.

Chomley and Robertson have crafted a great show, with two fantastically written characters. Although Hermione and Alexandra initially come across stuck up and shallow (visualise an Amanda in Motherland type), it’s done in a likeable enough manner to still make them engaging and interesting. As the show progresses, little insights into their families, upbringing and lived experiences, adds to the well-rounded nature of their personalities, explaining away some of their initial personality flaws. The writing duo are fabulous at portraying the toffy twosome, well-paced and brilliantly well timed with comedic cues they completely draw you in to their world and allow the audience to fully invest in their friendship.

The heartbreaking flashback in the latter half of the show is done extremely powerfully – starting off humorous and energetic, quickly transitioning into a hard-hitting and emotional shock scene. The impact is strong and approached with sensitive realism. That being said, it’s then somewhat disappointing that the revealing conversation between the two afterwards, in comparison, is so brief and brushed over – with no real vindication, justice or even much acknowledgement to the experience that’s been unburdened. It would be great to add the same level of emotion and sympathy, even if only briefly, to help give that story arc the attention and focus it deserves, before moving back to lighter ground.

Chomley and Robertson have a very bright future ahead of them as both writers and actors. While Posh Girls works great as a one-off, 70minute show – the humorous characters are so strong and compelling, that this could easily be expanded further in future into a short series or follow on show.

Runs until 2^nd February 2025