GIRLZ
Rating: ★★★
Venue: Doonstairs at Gilded Balloon Patter House, Edinburgh 

A brand-new girl band, a hotshot manager and a struggling songwriter, Girlz unfolds over one tumultuous year. Fast-paced and bursting with humour, great choreography, original songs and high-energy sequences from the band's live show, Girlz also explores the personal struggles and agonising choices faced in pursuit of success. Ultimately, Girlz is an uplifting tale of friendship and love within a cut-throat industry. The must-see brand new British musical.

Meon Productions brings their hit musical back to Edinburgh for another year, but I'm not sure all of the energy came with it. Following the story of a struggling songwriter, an arsehole of a manager, and a new pop girl band, there was a lot to like but nothing to really love about this one.

Simone Mistry-Palmer’s choreography was an unparalleled highlight, however the score behind it was repetitive and lacklustre. 

The cast were clearly competent, with Abigail Wiltshire stealing my attention throughout. There is no credited costume designer online which may explain why the outfit choices did not always feel fitting or effective.

In fringe spaces, it can be difficult to comment on scenery and props due to the associated physical and financial restrictions, however Matt Powell (video and set design) has done a great job of working around this to ensure we know where we are and what's going on visually at all times. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the lighting at points.

The story itself seemed unsure of its direction, with a mixture of predictable cliches allocated to each character and thrown together to create the plot. Fans of Six might enjoy this one, as it's an interesting balance of Female Power and real, sometimes less upbeat, subject matters.

You can book tickets to GIRLZ here.

Review by Katie