WILD WOMEN, Lantern Theatre Brighton

Writer: Emma Kelly

Director: Deirdre Daly

Reviewer: Lela Tredwell

Spotlighting a series of stunning monologues which sit evocatively together, Wild Women is a glorious bestial howl to the moon. From the writer of 2145, comes this electrifying piece of theatre which draws on folklore, the supernatural and science fiction to explore women defying expectations to reach their monstrous potential. Wonderfully wild and unapologetically real, the characters undergo extraordinary transformations. Whether it is with a poke in the eyes, an exhibition of one’s glorious green skin, or by eating the cat, these women take no prisoners.

We open on five intriguing souls, striking in their difference of dress and manner, as they flow across the stage. They come to settle, placing centrally Amy, who carries two large ASDA shopping bags-for-life, and sports a bright t-shirt depicting a unicorn cat. Played magnificently by Deborah Keane, we learn Amy is hoping to get abducted by aliens. Her husband died in a “ridiculous” manner and she is now out to fill the hole left by the grief and an empty nest. Why not a doomsday cult?

While Amy (Keane) is telling her tale, the rest of the cast contribute by embodying the other characters in her monologue and communicating society’s reactions through body language and facial expressions. In doing so they act as if a silent chorus, a collective sisterhood, or at times a mob. The direction for bringing these beautifully realised monologues together has created an engaging overall coherence. Invigorated, we watch the dance anew as we move on to meet a wild water swimmer (Scobie), who ostracised by her community becomes the victim of a bodged attempt at an exorcism. Laura Scobie’s delivery of such poetically rich imagery, including barricade-creating barnacles, vengeful black seaweed and conch eyes is enchanting and this terrific transformation, truly mesmerising. 

Appearing in the centre of the piece, as if in the eye of the storm, Aylin’s (Demet Dayanch) tale feels the more grounded of the group. Her story involves a less dramatic metamorphosis and in doing so falls a little short of the electricity of some of the other monologues that swirl around this centre. One of the most poignant images from this tale about a girl who loses her mother to a car accident and learns to commune with her through the jangle of keys, comes at the end of Aylin’s monologue and is of memories as a necklace made of teeth. It is this image that could be seen to hold all these tales together and paves the way for the big juicy bites of the last two monologues.

Tina Dunn embodies the character of Frankie with bold physicality and great comic effect. Perceived as an unacceptably aging actress, Frankie attempts to turn back time on a budget leading her to her own unexpected transformation. Whereas in the final monologue, Lorraine Yu moves us adeptly through what appears to be a case of crippling shyness to feral abandon. As Sheena, a mother of small children, she invites us all to howl at the moon.

Each monologue has its own distinct energy and depicts different eras of a woman’s life. Although supernatural, the monologues feel deeply real and very much of this world. Multimedia in the form of video projections support the monologues and provide suitable backdrops to the tales but the main event here is what is being brought to life on stage. 

This is outstanding writing, beautifully brought to being by a skilled cast, and bound by inspired direction. The creative team are looking to grow this work and we sincerely hope they do. The impact of the piece is highly impressive in its current form, giving permission to us all to be uncompromising, feral and fierce. It also reminds us of the joy of monologues in theatre. The consideration that there may be more wild women whose voices might join this chorus is tantalising. We wait with baited, bestial breath.

The cast forwent their fee on this project to support Brighton Women’s Centre.

Reviewed on the 28th March 2026