F-Bomb theatre has done it again! Returning to the Fringe Festival this year with The Beatles Were A Boyband these powerhouse women have managed to bag themselves some well-deserved awards. The company has received The Scotsman Fringe First award as well as upcoming writer Rachel O’Regan being awarded for innovation and outstanding new writing at the Fringe. Having seen their debut production of After Party last year I was thoroughly looking forward to this year’s production. These young women do not disappoint.
Violet’s scared walking home. Daisy fights to make the streets safer. And Heather? She’s just over it. When women are threatened daily, how do you really make the change – and how do you stop male violence when you can’t even see how far its roots go down? Scottish women’s theatre company F-Bomb returns following their sell-out Fringe debut (Afterparty, 2021) with a radical new play by award-winning playwright Rachel O’Regan. The Beatles Were A Boyband is an urgent and unapologetically feminine response to misogyny. Bad vibes only.
Sally Cairns as Violet was hilarious, her character was for the most part over the top. One of they friends who draws attention to any room that they are in. Her portrayal of the more vulnerable moments is what struck me. The fear was portrayed authentically and the performance was very poignant.
Kirstin Hutchison as Heather showed diversity in her role this year. Kirstin has a wonderful storytelling ability and a natural stage presence. The characters she plays always bring a down to earth narrative to F-Bombs plays which I really enjoy. Her vocal ability is particularly strong. She managed to capture the destructiveness of the justice system with her emotive performance.
Linzi Devers as Daisy was an absolute stand out, not only in this production but of my Fringe experience as a whole. Her character development was brilliantly constructed. She hit every mark with the delivery of the lines and showed her emotional intelligence and just how much she understood the text. From a somewhat doaty influencer to a active feminist she showed fantastic range.
Rachel O’Reagan’s script and storytelling feels very much like a captured moment in time. The three written characters are very relatable and represent three different friends responses to the violence and assault women face in the U.K. Rachel highlights the negligence of the government and justice system, blatantly calling for action against their lackluster response to these horrifying events. The statistics were hard hitting and effective. Using cultural references which resonate with our generation such as sitting down to watch Love Island or using an influencer selling products in a pyramid scheme really brought a relatable lightness and humour to the piece. Rachel strikes the balance between the darkness and the light in a resounding way. The piece was harrowing at times yet hilarious. A celebration of these three women as they navigate this complex world and their friendship.
Aimee Shields’ direction of this production was simplistic which allowed the text to really shine. The minimalist set worked well with the piece, however, I wish there were smaller “basic” items to really set the tone of this shared flat – for example popular single-line prints, plants, boob-carved plant pots – stereotypical household items for young women now. The use of the stage and blocking really lent to both the community and isolated feelings of the characters throughout the play. The use of flowers to emphasise the number of “isolated incidents” really struck a chord and was a powerful visual representation. The use of many regional accents in voiceovers was a massively effective choice as it really took us outside of our own world and highlighted that this is a widespread issue – a reality from all around us that can no longer be ignored.
F-Bomb capture modern femininity in such a beautiful way. The representation of young Scottish women on stage feels refreshing. This production will leave you provoked, emotions vary as you leave the theatre… Some feel empowered, some angry and some just plain upset at the feeling of hopelessness. When we use a microscopic lens to highlight these issues have almost become desensitized to it can be difficult to process exactly how it makes you feel. I feel powerful and powerless simultaneously, we must use our voice. Women need women. In a world where powerful men make choices over our health, our bodies and our safety we must stick together and fight for a better future for ourselves and our children.
Theatre Scotland 
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