A briskly paced production – keep up with it, if you can – a series of short plays are stitched together with even shorter sketch scenes to provide the audience with a tapestry of contemporary life for young women and girls. The sum is greater than the whole of its parts as sobering narratives are mixed in with what comes close to observational comedy.
For instance, there’s a ‘long’ story (inverted commas mine, because the whole show lasts an hour) about a woman’s experience with friends in a nightclub. She does her best to enjoy herself, but one of their party is missing, and with the growing passage of time comes a correspondingly growing cause for concern. She finds herself doing everything but the one thing she went to a nightclub with friends to do: clubbing. Elsewhere, a short scene sees a woman on public transport fall victim to manspreading. There’s a bit of creative license going on with that sketch – hardly anybody reads an actual newspaper these days on the London Underground, and those that do read a national daily will likely have a digital subscription (or, like me, use PressReader, available for free through the local library). The salient point about not respecting personal space is well made, however.
There was a somewhat complex but nonetheless compelling back and forth between two characters about the use of the term “not all men”. Another woman is accosted by a creep in a gym but lives to exercise another day. The same cannot be said for every character in this thoughtful and engaging production, and it is a damning indictment of modern society that this came as no surprise at all.
There’s nothing preachy in this play, and the emphasis is on presenting the problems rather than coming up with some kind of roadmap or grand scheme to tackle the problems highlighted. Much is relatable here as the show avoids sensationalism and populism to give a rounded and nuanced picture.
Review by Chris Omaweng
5 women, 5 stories, 5 lives changed under violent circumstances.
First developed in the wake of the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa in 2021, Violent Circumstances aims to shed light on women’s day-to-day encounters with misogyny and violence.
With the growing rise of toxic masculinity, incel culture and disregard for women’s issues, it’s getting harder to be heard, so come hear us roar.
Anita and various roles – Annabel Lisk
Ella, Sister A and various roles – Isobel Griffiths
Andi T and various roles – Ariane Lenihan
Sister B and various roles – Phoebe Shephard
Girl and various roles – Anna Francis
VIOLENT CIRCUMSTANCES
Jack Studio Theatre, 1 and 2 September 2026
The Bridge House Theatre, 3 September 2026
Presented as part of SE Fest 2026
