Fangirls
27 July 2024
Lyric Hammersmith
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Fangirls, currently running at the Lyric Hammersmith until 24 August, is an absolute delight of a musical. Loud, unashamed, and completely unhinged. Just like any feral fangirl! (I’m be using “fangirl” as a gender neutral term, as that what it’s become on the internet fandom spaces, that can be both a noun and a verb, and probably an adjective as well)
Having been part of several online fandoms, as well as offline ones in the late 1900s because I’m old, I’ve been very much looking forward to seeing how this musical holds up in representing fangirldom. And not only does it hold up, it completely exceeds expectations and goes hilariously off the rails with so much energy and spirit, it’s a delight to watch!
Edna is 14 years old, struggling with new expectations in her friend groups and at school, and utterly in love with Harry, the hottest boy in the hottest boy band of all times. She knows Harry better than anyone else and can see through the facade he puts up for the rest of the world, she wants to save him from the unbearable pressure of fame and success. But Harry doesn’t know she exists. But when the band announces they will be playing in Sydney, Australia, Edna’s home town, she weaves a plan of how to free Harry and prove that she is the only one who really loves him. What could go wrong!
The musical is not only fantastically entertaining and funny, it also perfectly encapsulates what it means to be a teenage fangirl, what it feels like and how it is viewed by society. Focussing on the pressures of puberty, friendships, and family expectations, Fangirls delves into what young teens really do experience when they become fangirls, and how it affects their lives. Beautifully scripted and gorgeously unhinged, it’s a wild story that feels very familiar to anyone who has dwelled in fandom spaces for any amount of time, at any age. Definitely go and see this brilliant musical while you can!
