The Wolves review: The pitch is back!

Once again, a brave gaggle of Warwick students swarmed the Art Centre black box studio to illustrate that student theatre has still got it! Reprising the beloved WUDS fund, Sarah Delappe’s The Wolves is directed by Isobel Kelly and Ruby McConville, and aided by Platform Student Collaborations.

Upon entry we were met with a large net goal and a beautifully curated Riot Grrrl playlist, fittingly underscoring the consistent tone of the piece.

Delappe’s plot follows a group of young football players, or ‘Soccer’ if you’re across the pond, as these girls are, as they boldly traverse early womanhood aided by their peers. The play’s dialogue takes place during the team’s warmups, as the group discuss the array of issues plaguing teenage girls, ranging from bickering about social gossip to navigating young grief. Upon entry we were met with a large net goal and a beautifully curated Riot Grrrl playlist, fittingly underscoring the consistent tone of the piece. The girls filled the stage for a naturalistic pre-show consisting of stretching and chit chat, and thus they began…

While many works surrounding the teen experience can feel cliché and untrue to life, the Wolves displayed a refreshing realism surrounding girlhood, impeccably embodied by seamless cast wide characterisation.

They opened with an array of warm up exercises, displaying a studied physical dynamism, underscored with a moving discussion concerning politics and the team’s ever-evolving relationships. This scene allows us an early insight into each girl’s distinctive outlook and social position within the team, effectively navigating weighty subjects in an age-appropriate naturalistic manner. We are immediately privy, by proxy, to the epic highs and lows of adolescent life, that many know all too well. While many works surrounding the teen experience can feel cliché and untrue to life, the Wolves displayed a refreshing realism surrounding girlhood, impeccably embodied by seamless cast wide characterisation. Three particular standouts within the realm of characterisation were Maddie Atkinson (2), Daisy Russel (46) and Molly Dobson (8), who respectively navigated a coy naivety without rearing into monotonous. The trio remained endearing throughout, while not allowing their characters to merge, largely assisted by their impeccable comedic timing.

As the play progresses, the stakes of the team’s discussions rise, creating beautiful peaks and troughs to the narrative. This is exemplified by one particular dynamic explored by Famke Smith (14) and Diya Sengupta (7) as they navigate the disastrous fallout of a fraught ski trip. The pair masterfully traversed a complex ‘frenemies’ dynamic in a notably realistic manner. They depicted the cross section of ‘catty’ passive aggression and earnestness without reducing their respective characters to simplistic ‘mean girl’ archetypes and stripping them of autonomy. While this play largely focuses on the relationships between the players, it was also incredibly effective at depicting individual character growth, without detracting from the wider tone. One notable solo section followed 2, played by Maddie Atkinson. The stage fell entirely silent as 2 walked towards a zip lock bag of oranges, a recurrent motif through the play. What happened next was truly a testament to authentic and unfiltered expression within student theatre. In a moment of vulnerability, she tore into them with a level of raw emotion that left the audience speechless. This heart-breaking moment was followed in quick succession by the team travelling across the stage in symmetrical diagonals, in an impressive display of athleticism and vivacity, utilising the studio space masterfully. It is through these harsh parallels that this production was such a success. These juxtapositions described by the directors as, “the brutal and tender, the awkward and seamless, the chaotic and choreographed” illustrated a whistle stop tour of the teenage experience, marked with great turbulence and levity, while not undermining the weight of the girl’s torment.

Moreover, I was touched by the realism of the team dynamic, defined by juvenile upbeat morale, interspersed with immense hardship.

This play, while centring the pitch as the primary location of action, effectively interwove the girls unique outside lives, using the sphere of football warmups as a domain to explore wider social issues. Whether that was the girl’s familial struggles or turbulent romantic relationships, the format allowed each character to have their moment in the sun, permitting naturalistic character depth and growth.  I was particularly moved by the maturation of the captain, played by Thea Crowther. In this role, Thea masterfully embodied the young queer experience, though never explicitly stated, marked with immense introspection and secrecy. Maintaining a strong vein of leadership, she was torn between a responsibility to control her peers, and the teenage compulsion to be liked, while simultaneously wrestling internally with her own identity.

Moreover, I was touched by the realism of the team dynamic, defined by juvenile upbeat morale, interspersed with immense hardship. The play’s most expounded low is marked by (spoiler ahead), the untimely passing of 14. The girls grapple with sudden grief, resulting in a chilling atmosphere on stage, amplified by cold lighting and sparce blocking. The entire cast embodied this tragedy in a truly moving manner, navigating the immense sadness alongside dispersed hope, illustrating that even in their darkest moments, they are still young girls, now united by great loss. This monumental devastation is exemplified by the entrance of India Rodway, playing the mother of 14 in a truly show-stealing moment. Visibly shell shocked, she began to talk to her daughter’s friends, navigating the enormity of bereavement for a parent, leaving not a dry eye in the house and warranting glowing reviews from all.

A moving masterpiece complete with a concrete directorial vision hellbent on amplifying the voices of young women, frequently overlooked in our current political sphere.

In short, this play (both metaphorically and literally) was right on target, marked with impressive athleticism, poignant explorations of female friendship, and a truly heart wrenching illustration of loss. A moving masterpiece complete with a concrete directorial vision hellbent on amplifying the voices of young women, frequently overlooked in our current political sphere. Add a shrill whistle leitmotif and palpable team morale, and you’ll understand just why they call it the beautiful game.