The Hen Night (A Play, A Pie and A Pint) – Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

Writer: Debbie Hannan

Director: Laila Noble

It was an apt choice by the team behind this hilarious and snappy play to welcome the audience into the venue to the sound of their best Girl Power playlist. It featured the biggest leading women in music of the past twenty years: from Ariana Grande to The Pussycat Dolls, everyone made the cut.

This is an all-women show through and through; directed, written and expertly acted by Dani Heron, Laura Lovemore, and Anna Russell-Martin. They not only play the titular hens, but also the elusive bride, Coral, the godly Luna, and the walking red flag, Scott.  At the centre of this brief piece are three best friends, Lilac, Amber and Jade, celebrating the upcoming wedding of the fourth member of their group during a wild night out in Edinburgh, in a sort of girly version of The Hangover. Except it comes with way more planning: the perfect Hen-Do brings organisational stress and military precision, yet still manages to be fun. From the get-go, it’s clear that this play wants us to understand female friendship, celebrate sisterhood, and see the lengths women go to protect each other.

In a world that still pushes the narrative that women are enemies and competitors, we desperately need work like this that unapologetically represents the truth behind female friendship. Despite what mainstream media depicts, women – most of the time – ride for each other. This sentiment becomes embodied in the figure of Luna, a mythic creature, a goddess, a punisher of men whose sole mission is to free women. She is a character of this play, but it’s clear that her existence is purely metaphorical. Luna is very familiar to women; she is everywhere in female groups. Luna is your friend who steps in when a guy dances too close at the club, or the woman who approaches you in the street if you are walking alone, and men seem to be getting too close for comfort.

The writing is clever, witty, and uplifting. While for the most part it tries to make you laugh, it is also good at reminding you of the less glamorous sides of female friendship: the occasional comparisons, the fear of being left behind when your friends find a partner, or the pressure to find someone to spend your life with to avoid becoming haggard and alone. It addresses all of this, and reaches its peak in the final act when the hens see all of Scott’s red flags and realise he is only going to chip away at Coral’s personality bit by bit. They are temporarily granted Luna’s godly powers, which help them stand by Coral as she finally frees herself.

It’s a touching moment of togetherness, showing the power women acquire to protect their own. An almost god-like and supernatural strength, the same that makes a mother lift a car when she sees her child underneath it. This play is both smart and necessary, a portrayal of the honest relationship women have with each other.

Runs until 21 June 2026 | Image: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan