Fangirls

In a world premiere, Queensland Theatre brings Fangirls to Brisbane audiences.

This is an audacious, hilarious and ambitious production centring on the true love and devotion of 14-year-old Edna for Harry, lead singer of boy band True Connection.

If this all sounds familiar, Harry does bear uncanny similarities to megastar Harry Styles of One Direction fame, but I digress.

Edna’s love doesn’t border on obsession, it inhabits it.

For her, a poor scholarship kid at a snooty high school, Harry represents a life beyond being young, powerless and having to do her homework and tidy her room.

Only problem is, her friends and every other young girl (and a few of the young guys) love Harry too. How can Edna meet Harry so that he realises they’re meant to be together, forever?

Fangirls was written by the prodigiously talented, Sydney-born and raised Yve Blake.

The writing is gob-smackingly funny and perfectly captures teenage girls.

The brutal tribalism of friendship groups is laid bare, as is the tender love that exists between them.

Yve also stars in the lead role of Edna and nails every song, dance move, eye roll and hissy fit.

She is ably supported by an ensemble of seven ridiculously talented actors, who play anonymous Internet ‘friends’ one minute, close friends the next.

There are soaring musical performances, a True Connection concert and some badass rapping.

Themes include the manipulation of (mainly young) fans by big recording labels, the insincerity of commercial pop stars, the fleeting nature of fame, the loneliness of adolescence, estrangement between the generations, the rise of technology and why feminism matters.

There are great messages here for the young and those who remember the intoxication of being young, but it’s also a delicious celebration of being young and in love, with life.