Review: We, The Women Wild, Old Red Lion Pub & Playhouse

From the moment we are born, we will encounter a range of new objects and creatures. By the time we are young adults, we will likely be familiar with most of what is to be found in the world – unless we’re raised in unusual isolation. We, The Women Wild follows a group of young women encountering a bizarre creature for the first time. It is like them, but not: a man.

In an idyllic all-female commune, there is contention amongst the ‘sisters’ and their ‘mothers’. The curious Aine (Lotus Lily) and excitable Neera (Olivia Carty) are content with the life they were raised in, whilst the feisty Rovin (Emma Cavell King) tries to convince the committed Rayah (Grace Hey) that they should depart to explore ‘the beyond’. But, as the kindly Mother Nee (Taru Sinclair) and the more forceful Mother Alethia (Sarah Sealey) explain, the rules of isolation are for their own protection. When the sisters discover the man (William Bennett), they secretly keep him captive, whilst his existence challenges their world view. They come to realise that the lines between protection and control, risk and freedom are not as clear as they seemed.

From the first scene, writer Ellen Davies fully draws us into the developed and immersive world of the commune, gradually exploring the positives and negatives of the multi-layered society; the rituals and rules, mythology and motivations. Likewise, the characters have fully rounded personalities; as mothers and sisters by blood or bond, they are equally caring and conflicting. The sisters support and squabble, the mothers are well-meaning but misleading, whilst the man is charming and cunning in his desire for freedom. The language blends some old-fashioned sayings (“having lived many summers”) to convey their naturalistic lifestyle.

As director, Davies keeps the cast active; the entertaining verbal sparring is accompanied by petulant expressions and gestures. The sisters’ spirituality and embracement of nature is strikingly exemplified by their otherworldly physicality, with movement director Freya Sharp imbuing the lithe and energetic younger cast members with animalistic movements as they smoothly crawl on all fours. The fact that the mothers do not share this trait subtly conveys that they were not born into the commune. Joshua Campbell’s fight choreography makes the conflicts as brutal as the dances are graceful.

To provide maximum space for the frequent dashing and well-choreographed ritualistic dancing across the stage, the tents of the commune and surrounding woods and lakes are all conveyed through creative descriptions. Fiona Cox’s sound design not only enhances the envisioned physical locations, with the sound of running water and bird chirping, but also provides insights into the mindsets of the characters; the ear ringing of disorientation or heartbeat of rising panic. Likewise, Eli White’s lighting design conveys the day and night cycles as well as subtly adjusting for changes in emotion.

The values of the commune are effectively conveyed through the ensembles’ costuming; the identical, flowing white dresses of the sisters suggestive of the simple and harmonious lifestyle. With the amount of mud splattering on both dresses and faces, they are clearly active and unpretentious. However, the sisters’ personalities are subtly complemented by their differing hairstyles, varying from flowing and untamed to neatly plaited. The rank and responsibilities of the mothers is conveyed through their pristine and more restrictive dresses. His modern cargo trousers and parka jacket make Bennett seem more otherworldly to the confused sisters. 

The world of the commune is a fascinating one to observe, with the well-balanced conflicting beliefs raising interesting questions on the morality of restricting choice and knowledge in exchange for happiness and security.

Written and directed by Ellen Davies
Movement Director: Freya Sharp
Intimacy Co-ordinator and fight choreography by Joshua Campbell
Sound by Fiona Cox
Lighting by Eli White

We, The Women Wild has completed its current run at Old Red Lion Pub & Playhouse