One of the Boys
Rating: 3.5/5
Venue: Playground Theatre
Cast: Miriam Grace Edwards, Jess Gough, Daniel Kendrick and Matt Ray Brown

Eve is on the brink of a ground-breaking career move; she is about to become the first woman in her company to land the role of CEO. Yes, she’s had to compromise, make personal sacrifices, but it was all worth it... right?

Written by exciting new playwright Tim Edge and directed by Lydia McKinley, ONE OF THE BOYS is an edge of the seat thriller exposing dark truths in the corporate world where nothing is quite what it seems, and no one can be trusted.

"Our power. Imagine if we were allowed to use it."

This line for me sums up the entire play and the importance of the issues it highlights. With women's fight to be treated equally and taken seriously in the workplace far from over, Tim Edge's new play feels as relevant as ever, as he takes on the hierarchy and harassment that often characterise the corporate world. 

A combination of Lydia McKinley's excellent direction, Ellie Wintour's scarce office-based set design and Edward Saunders' harsh lighting set the scene for the characters' various facades and masks to gradually be exposed throughout the play. 

We meet high-flying Eve, proudly fitting as ‘one of the boys’ at the company she has spent 12 years at, and more than able to handle her male colleagues' "banter" and crude jokes. Brilliantly played by Miriam Grace Edwards, the audience grows to like and sympathise with Eve as she later battles to save her career, despite her initially prickly demeanour being harder to warm to.

Daniel Kendrick gave a stand-out performance as Kevin, with the audience quickly loathing the misogynistic way he treats and speaks about women, while his overinflated ego provided a few moments of laughter at some of his delusional comments. Matt Ray Brown and Jess Gough complete the cast as Toby and Heidi, offering equally great portrayals of these characters, with Heidi in particular being the catalyst for change.

While the premise of the show certainly provides food for thought and highlights some important and ever-relevant issues, it did feel predictable in parts, and the idea of the characters listening in and watching each other may have helped to diminish the trust between them, but it also saw the story become less clear in parts.

Despite this, there are plenty of twists and turns in the narrative to keep the audience interested, including the ending, and each character felt well developed, with much thought clearly being given to each of them individually and the role they play within the company and wider society. 

Overall, a strong cast and a thought-provoking script combine to create an empowering play for women to relate to, and one to make men consider how they can be part of the change that so much of the corporate world still seems to desperately need. 

You can book tickets to One of the Boys, here.

Review by Vickie

**photo credit: Craig Fuller**