Words: Charlie Sampson

4 stars

All the Fraudulent Horse Girls centres around Audrey, an eleven-year-old horse girl, telepathically linked to all the other horse-girls in the world. We land immediately at a sleepover in Audrey’s bedroom, hearing her fantasies and friendship ordeals. The show is led by absurd crazed storytelling, jumping from school trips to Mexican deserts and the performers have us in the palm of their hands the whole time.

The ensemble is the backbone of the production, with a live horse girl band providing a soundtrack that weaves in and out of the narrative and multi-rolling throughout. Each member of the cast radiates charisma, and this is a work where you can feel the joy of the process of making the show and it’s a pleasure watching their chemistry as an ensemble. The fluid swapping of Audrey’s role among the
performers expands the narrative, celebrating not just Audrey but all horse girls and the quirky outsiders of youth.

The writing brilliantly captures the emotional turbulence of girlhood, the intensity of obsession, and the humour found in retrospectively recognising the queer awakenings of youth. While the show occasionally meanders—spending perhaps a bit too long in the fictional world of Cormac McCarthy—the engaging performances and the vibrant aesthetic more than compensate, keeping the audience thoroughly
entertained.

All the Fraudulent Horse Girls
Pleasance Dome – Ace Dome
14:50
July 31-26 Aug