A potent and necessary play in Playfight
Playfight presents a complex and nuanced narrative centred on three friends who grow up trying to navigate sex, shame and sexuality. Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Julia Grogan’s story remains potent and necessary. The play inspired by the tradegdy of Grace Millane holds particular power playing in Tamaki Makaurau.
Ana Chaya Scotney as Keira, Liv Parker as Lucy and Mirabai Pease as Zainab
At the centre are three friends: Kiera (Ana Chaya Scotney) is a rebellious free spirit, Lucy (Liv Parker) struggles with her place in the church, and Zainab (Mirabai Pease) strives for excellent grades to get into university.
Mirabai Pease as Zainab, Ana Chaya Scotney as Keira and Liv Parker as Lucy
The girls explore their sexuality, experiences with sex, consent and sexual violence over three vital timelines set around their tree at school. From 15 to senior year and into being young adults, we watch their arcs shape and bend. The shifting timeline is an effective narrative device, allowing the wide span of time to see the girls' growth and outcome from their relationships in 80 minutes. Yet the majority of the events they discuss occur off stage, forcing the audience to piece together the pieces through conversation and memory. Leaning into a more ‘telling’ narrative than ‘showing’ character arcs.
The narrative plays out in a mesmerising set design by Talia Pia, underneath a canopy of a paper mosaic filled with lights, which creates an intimate experience. Rob Larsen’s lighting design effectively adds to the rooted realism of the scenes, seamlessly switching between day and night, as well as the riveting abstract portions with spotlights and lights from within the trunk of the tree and its leaves. The construction-like structure of the tree trunk doubles as a playground-like function. Seemingly representing the wisdom the girls seek and their childlike naivety. At times, it feels as if the audience is another person on the playground, overhearing shocking revelations through their vulnerable and intimate discussion.
The 360-degree seating design is a fascinating choice. Depending on where you are sitting, where the girls are standing or sitting, if the tree is in your sightline, you may miss a micro expression or reaction that can be so telling of each character's story. You may only hear what they are saying and not see their body language. Other times, you may only see the back of someone while their voice is swept away in the opposite direction. This meant that at times humour or important statements could be lost for those on the opposite side of the hall. While this may be off-putting for some, it made it feel all the more real. Mirroring how we can sometimes miss what those closest to us are trying to tell us.
The representation of watching three young women openly discuss previously taboo topics is refreshing and necessary. All three actors captivated the stage both during the ensemble's pieces and their solo moments. All were distinctive in their own ways, desires and personalities, yet they truly felt like friends.
Ana Chaya Scotney as Keira
Ana Chaya Scotney brings a fiery energy to the rebellious Kiera, who begins the play boasting about vodka, Red Bull, fake IDs and filming her sexual encounter, balancing the transformation to a haunted young woman. Her physicality knows no bounds.
Liv Parker as Lucy
Liv Parker’s ability to bring the goofiness and lightheartedness to Lucy only makes the character's fate even more heartbreaking. The fierceness of her poetry recital moment is particularly memorable.
Mirabai Pease as Zainab
Mirabai Pease has the most grounded performance in Zainab. She is captivating as the girl who is so desperate to please in ways society has deemed most successful, grades and school. The brokenness Pease is able to convey, having lost love and her best friend, is deeply moving.
Liv Parker as Lucy and Mirabai Pease as Zainab
The show asks the question of how we are to best educate our tamariki at such a formative time in their upbringing. A time when the advice of adults often goes unsolicited, and young people are so susceptible to what they consume on social media and other media sources. In a world where algorithms and AI are teaching young people as much as adults are, the importance of peer-to-peer connection is vital. It also poses the question of who teaches our young boys to eventually grow into the men who abuse power and desire to dominate.
This play left me speechless, leaving the theatre. Days later, the lingering questions float through my mind on how we can best solve the problems that the narrative raises.
Mirabai Pease as Zainab and Ana Chaya Scotney as Keira
Playfight is a potent think piece that underscores the importance of having open and honest discussions about sex, consent and violence among youth. The insight and awareness woven within these three friends’ stories are deeply relevant, and the conversations that will spark from this show are timely and essential.
The play includes several trigger warnings, and the theatre does a good job of providing resources and information in the program and on its website.
It plays at Silo Hall until the 30th of May, before making its education rounds, touring schools around Auckland in June.
Buy tickets here.
Mirabai Pease as Zainab, Ana Chaya Scotney as Keira and Liv Parker as Lucy
Gifted press tickets
Photo Credit: Andi Crown
