Period Parrrty – Soho Theatre, London

Writer: Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

Director: Gitika Buttoo

Gayathiri Kamalakanthan’s Period Parrrty, directed by Gitika Buttoo, is a tender and very funny exploration of growing up, identity and cultural inheritance. Centring on Krish, a non-binary Tamil teenager terrified of their upcoming period party, the play turns what might seem like a small adolescent drama into a joyous story about belonging and self-definition.

At its core, Period Parrrty is a play about love. Love between friends, parents, language and the versions of ourselves that never quite fit the mould. Elizabeth Green’s Krish has a quiet, determined energy, always pushing towards self-assurance without losing that familiar teenage awkwardness. Tanvi Virmani shines as Brenavee, the loyal and quick-witted best friend whose confidence and comic timing give the play its heartbeat. Their friendship feels easy and lived-in, full of teasing affection. Rani Moorthy, as Krish’s mother Brintha, brings nuance to a role that could easily have been one-note, capturing both pride and bewilderment with tenderness.

Kamalakanthan’s writing balances Tamil and English with deliberate tension. Brintha speaks Tamil as her mother tongue, while Krish’s fluency lies in English. Both can navigate the other’s language, but never without friction. That slight awkwardness becomes the point, a beautifully observed metaphor for the generational and cultural gap between them. The language barrier is not one of comprehension, but of experience, and it turns even ordinary exchanges into moments of poignancy and misfire. 

The design, by Katie Scott, is wonderfully inventive. Sliding backdrops and clever modular pieces build multiple spaces, all lived in and recognisable. It’s fun, resourceful and perfectly aligned with the tone of the piece. There’s such a strong sense of nostalgia running through the show. Set in 2010, it captures the awkward joy of being a teenager in a world of brick phones, pop songs and early-internet self-discovery. There are shades of Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging in its affection for that chaotic, embarrassing, glitter-covered stage of life, a reminder of how self-expression often starts in the smallest, silliest acts of courage.

Buttoo’s direction keeps everything grounded, never letting the heart of the story get lost in its larger ideas. The humour lands gently, the emotion feels earned, and the result is a play that celebrates both the comfort and discomfort of growing into oneself.

Period Parrrty is a genuinely sweet piece of theatre, brimming with care and curiosity. It honours Tamil culture while queering its rituals with joy, offering a portrait of adolescence that is specific, universal and full of love.

Runs until 22 November 2025