The Virgins at Soho Theatre Review
Written by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The Virgins by Miriam Battye is part of a season of Soho Theatre's in-house produced new writing. It’s set on a Friday night as four girls and two boys are alone in a house. Billed as a “funny and devastating fever dream of desire and teenagerhood”, it’s a very relatable premise for anybody who has ever been through the angst of teen hormones!
Rosie Elnile‘s set effectively draws us into a rather generic home. To one side is a dated bathroom, the girls’ domain, and to the other a lounge in which the two boys are playing video games. There aren’t any personal touches, it could be anywhere.
The play takes the form of a series of short scenes, vignettes separated by sudden blackouts accompanied by a dramatic soundtrack that wouldn’t be out of place in a blockbuster film. The lighting (Bethany Gupwell) and sound design (Anna Clock) is very impressive. As the play starts, THE VIRGINS is projected in huge letters on the back wall, leaving us in no doubt that for the play’s six characters, this is not to be an ordinary night, and the transition of scenes is a fitting representation of the epic importance our teens place on it.
Under Jaz Woodcock-Stewart‘s direction, the play moves at a great pace, but fittingly allows for pauses that verge on awkward as the characters navigate the evening and each other. If the action is in one room, the characters across the stage do not freeze but subtly and silently carry on with their stories. It’s not at all distracting and feels very natural. Occasionally characters meet in the “no man’s land” between the two rooms, a space for sibling bickering, peer pressure and burgeoning feelings. With each blackout and scene change, the audience anticipation grows, the actors don’t just change their physical position but also their tone and mood. Intimacy between the characters is very well handled (credit to Intimacy Director Raniah AL-Sayed), it never feels as if it’s in there for shock value or a cheap laugh, it’s all part of the characters’ journeys towards sexual maturity.
There isn’t a weak link in the cast. They all present characters that are relatable and, despite outward displays of bravado, engaging and ultimately sympathetic. As siblings Chloe and Joel, Anushka Chakravarti and Ragevan Vasan bounce off each other brilliantly, not quite letting go of their childish rivalry. Ella Bruccoleri is great as best friend Jess, outwardly nervous but probably the most mature of the lot. Molly Hewitt-Richards gets the best laughs as Phoebe, chattering through her insecurity with some great physical comedy. As (one whole year) older girl Anya, Zoë Armer shows a hard and confident shell to mask her own painful experiences. And Alec Boaden gives us a rather monosyllabic Mel, whose cool mask slips in a strong monologue towards the end of the play.
The Virgins is an excellent portrayal of teens and their sexual awakening. The gaps between the sexes are clear. The girls want to go “out out” and pull, even if they don’t entirely know what pulling involves. The boys want to sit in silence and play their video games. There are some parts of the script that do feel a little under-developed. Phoebe’s back-story isn’t explored and we don’t find out the truth behind Anya’s reputation or Mel’s feelings about girls. The prospect of sexual assault is rather glossed over which is frustrating. But this makes sense if you look at life from a teenage perspective, when articulating your feelings and fears is a bridge too far. It does feel like a slightly missed opportunity not to have some sort of resolution and understanding. But maybe, like our teens, we don’t need to have all the answers presented to us straight away, we can take the time to work it out for ourselves.
The Virgins is about growing up, growing pains, growing closer together and growing apart. With outstanding direction, technical support and performances, it’s a thoroughly entertaining piece of theatre that manages to be funny and thought-provoking, bringing to life the awkwardness and anticipation of being a teenager.
The Virgins runs at Soho Theatre’s Main House until 7th March 2026. Find out more and book here.
★★★★
