With book, music and lyrics by Carleigh McRitchie and Bella Wright, studio show The Gardening Club was invited back to the New Wimbledon Theatre, this time in the main house as part of the Premieres season.
It’s the debut work from Nowhere Girls Theatre, a new feminist collective founded by McRitchie and Wright that “stands at the intersection between art and advocacy” and is “dedicated to breaking taboos”.
The Gardening Club refers to a group of five women who come together to provide birth control pills to all who need them – in 1960s Georgia, these were only available to married women.
One of these women is Phoebe (Emma Wallace), an aspiring journalist in a male-dominated newsroom. She is assigned to make coffee and answer the phone, until a conflict occurs between ambition and activism.
Two sisters, the confident and outgoing Maggie (Emma Espada), the naive and sheltered Vicki (Lola Garlick); Betty (Olivia Taylor-Quinn), a widow working as a nurse; and Sheila (Hannah Greensmith), the news editor’s wife make up the rest of the group. We follow each of their stories as the show progresses.
In the newsroom, the dynamic is dominated by alpha male (read maniplative and abusive creep) Luke (Isaac Moore), whose distain for women eventually morphs into something deeply disturbing and distasteful.
Editor Cliff (Harry Belton) is a character who changes tack to become more sympathetic, while distributor Miles (Richie Paisley) seems OK but has his own problematic character trajectory.
The evening was not without technical problems with the lighting and sound, while a screen at the back was underused, hanging blank for much of the show.
Although the subject is deeply important, particularly in the context of how women’s rights are being eroded by extreme American conservatism, I felt that the closing moment’s reference to Wade vs Roe (and the unspoken work of The Janes on abortion) was the most powerful moment.
Staging was also disappointing, failing to fully utilise a bigger area except for a couple of ensemble moments. Some songs were also overpowered by the band.
The cast and director carry over from the studio version, with especially good work from Taylor-Quinn, Greensmith, Belton and Espada.
Although described as ‘pop-rock’, the score of The Gardening Club is more informed by 50s and 60s trends like acapella, love ballad, or doo-wop. Lyrics are occasionally odd (rhyming ‘what’s in my mind’ with ‘what he can find’).
Ultimately, The Gardening Club in this version feels a little out of place. Director Tara Noonan maintains the pace but a weak first half unbalances the piece and robs the story of its historical context and contemporary relevance.
I’m giving this 2.5 stars.
At the moment it feels like a small-scale show still finding its feet. With some technical finesse and stronger staging choices, The Gardening Club could easily grow in stature.
The Gardening Club was at New Wimbledon Theatre for one performance only. For more on Nowhere Girls Theatre and future plans follow their Instagram.
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