Balloons, party hats, and an uneaten cake: Audrey’s 18th birthday is already over, but the morning after brings no closure.
Two teenage friends pick through the wreckage of the night before – half remembered memories, friendships half-held, and truths better left unsaid. Their bond has been a comfort and a constant through chaotic times, yet cracks are beginning to show: light-hearted conversation unravels into raw confrontation over identity, boundaries, and the fragile foundation of their friendship.
The setting is a messy room, a shoe abandoned in the bath, a Monopoly board ready to destroy goodwill faster than any bottle of cheap vodka. Episodic in structure, the play snaps from one moment to the next as the pair while away the day - scrolling, bickering, reminiscing, and accusing. The dialogue is recognisably teenage, full of playlists, horoscopes, and gossip, yet undercut with theatrical self-awareness, sudden monologues, and fourth-wall breaks. The style fits comfortably into Fringe theatre with a hint of Pinter in the tensions simmering beneath ordinary conversation (and not because of the Birthday Party). Both actors revel in the volatility, their relationship swinging wildly from tenderness to spite in an instant.
Glimmers of deeper feelings emerge as they push and pull at unspoken emotions, while Audrey wrestles with whether anyone at her party truly cared.
This is an intentionally messy, unfiltered coming-of-age drama, tackling head-on mental health, eating disorders, LGBTQ identity, grief, suicide, and tangled family dynamics with raw honesty. The writing is naturalistic, fresh and vibrant, offering a compelling experience of growing up in the modern world.
The final monologue, superbly delivered between bites of cake, is revealing and utterly riveting.
This slice of a debut work is brimming with promise and hopefully a taste of things to come.
Show Times: 18 to 23 August 2025 at 4.35pm.
Tickets: £12 (£10)
Suitability: 14+ (Show contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, scenes of violence, strong language / swearing).