REVIEW: TIT(S) FOR TAT @ THE COURTYARD THEATRE

🎭 Tit(s) for Tat

📍 The Courtyard Theatre, 40 Bowling Green Walk, Pitfield Street, London N1 6EU

🗓 Thursday 18 July 2024

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LAUGH-A-MINUTE FUN THAT'S FULL OF NOSTALGIA

At the start of TIT(S) FOR TAT, we join Rosie, Emily, Danielle, Lily and Ruby at their pre-drinks in 2017. We see them trying on their outfits and putting on make-up, posing in front of the mirror while talking about their crushes and hairy legs. The timeline then jumps forward to the present day, to a therapy session all the girls are attending. We spend the majority of the play’s 50-minute run here, watching as they open up to each other and iron out their tensions.

Despite the heaviness of some of the topics discussed, these scenes are a laugh a minute, making it a really fun watch. I particularly enjoyed the characterisation and how each of the friends has a distinctive personality – one that each of the actors playing them seems to really understand and embody. I was so invested in them as characters, and they seemed so familiar to me – as a woman who also grew up in this era – that I sometimes forgot I was watching a play.

My favourite scenes were the flashbacks to secondary school and to the night out that follows the pre-drinks in the opening. The team at Knockout Productions absolutely nails the depiction of secondary-school cringeyness, petty arguments, and giggly immaturity – especially in the talent show, which was a highlight for me.

In the flashback of the night out, Ruby tells the girls about the upsetting and traumatic way she lost her virginity. The scene felt like a real punch in the gut – especially after all the laughs beforehand. But it really demonstrated the actors’ range. The theatre, which up until moments ago had felt light and fun, now felt heavy and sad. There’s a shift in perspective that has you rooting even more for the girls and their friendship.

The only thing holding me back from giving this play five stars is the fact that some of the audio transitions could have been a bit smoother. There were a couple of times – particularly at the start – when a fade-out might have been better suited rather than an abrupt end to a song, for example. I am also aware that my perspective as a woman who can relate – perhaps more than others – to the era being shown on stage might have made me even more invested. I’m curious to know if someone who grew up in a different era or culture would have understood the cultural references – the music and the 2010s dance moves, for example.

Overall, I think the play was perfectly balanced. On the one hand, I’d bet there are loads of women who grew up in the 2010s who can see themselves in these characters. On the other hand, each character was unique and believable in their own way. I’d recommend this play to anyone, but I do think women in their mid-twenties like me might be the audience who will get the most out of it.

Estelle Luck

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.  

My ticket for this performance of Tit(s) For Tat was gifted by Knockout Productions who invited me to watch the show on behalf of Pink Prince Theatre in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given. 

CAST LIST:

Katie Suiter as Rosie; Alice Kellar as Lily; Eva Ceroni-Marti as Ruby; Lucy Cowie as Emily; Hannah Bunker as Danielle

RUNNING TIME (approx):

50 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

This production touches on the theme of sexual assault