A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing

whatsonstage.com

The Young Vic's A Girl is A Half-Formed Thing has had good reviews across the board from the critics.

I have to applaud the efforts of Aoife Duffin, who holds the stage with a raw quality we learn to appreciate quickly.

But I'm not entirely convinced.

I have admitted many times before that I struggle to appreciate one-woman shows. This was slightly different in that, the title suggested she wasn't just a woman. She appears fragmented, which is no surprise as we progress to learn about her past.

Aoife Duffin rises to the challenge of multi-rolling... or is she replaying these moments from her past in her head? We never really find out. So instead we allow ourselves to forget that it is just Duffin onstage and are captivated by the puzzle before us.

From troubled siblings, to an unappreciative mother, to an abusive uncle - Duffin's character finds herself swept away in seeking love elsewhere, which often leads her into manipulative relationships and in danger of being mistreated.

Overall Duffin aided the script to bring it a tragically living, breathing power, with a stellar performance from our lead which helped earn her a place on the shortlist for the Emerging Talent Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2016.

(Written in 2016 - delayed post)