American playwright Sarah Delappe takes us into the world of a late teenage women’s soccer team, THE WOLVES. The play has been generating some social media interest which makes sense considering how women’s soccer in Australia is doing so well, and especially our much loved national team, the Matildas.
THE WOLVES follows the team as they compete over a number of matches in an attempt to qualify for the Nationals. The players are keen to make careers in the sport and are hoping to be discovered by talent scouts who come to their games.
Whilst it is a sports story, the focus is more personal as we get to know each of the girls, and their issues. For instance, there’s the goalkeeper suffering from high anxiety who isn’t able to open up to the group and spends a lot of time rushing to the toilet and throwing up.
I enjoyed the simplicity of the staging. Design wise, the stage mimics a soccer pitch with artifical grass and a white line marking for half way. There is also one long bench with water bottles sitting on top. And also stage wide netting which separates the players from the audience.The action of the play unfolds with the girls doing their warm up routines, sometimes just at training, other times on match day, after which we see them run out onto the pitch, as in we see them dart down the middle aisle. The girls talk/discuss everything including their take on the latest social trends and world news.
Their different character types came through clearly in the performances of Sofia Nolan, Michelle Ny, Cece Peters, Zoe Terakes, Nikita Waldron, Brenna Harding, Emma Harvie and Nadia Zweker.
Verdict. This was a well directed- Jessica Arthur– and performed slice of life drama with some high notes. How often it is friendship, sharing, and camaraderie that keeps us going, even more so after that ‘realty bites’. And it was good to see strong, intelligent, articulate young women presented on stage.Also that the play has been brought together by an all female cast and creative team.
Recommended, the Australian premiere production, Sarah Delappe’s THE WOLVES is playing the Old Fitz Theatre [Facebook] until the 14th April.