By Kat Mokrynski

“We wanted to make something that was adventurous and funny and explored the topics young people care about today – which is why the story explores the expectations we have of young people, especially in terms of exams and climate change.”

SHEWOLVES, a play currently running at the Southwark Playhouse, tells the story of two girls going into the wild and taking on climate change. Recently, Curtain Call had the chance to interview Sarah Middleton, the writer of SHEWOLVES. We discussed coming-of-age stories, the importance of teenagers seeing themselves on stage, and what it’s like bringing back the cast from the Edinburgh Fringe. 

What is SHEWOLVES about?

SHEWOLVES is about two teenage girls from Derby who run away into the Peak District. They

overcome their differences and learn to raise their voices together. It’s a funny, female-led love

letter to teenage rebellion.

How did you first come up with the concept for SHEWOLVES?

There’s a gap in theatre programming when it comes to teenagers. There’s theatre for children,

theatre for adults, but very little theatre specifically for teens. A lot of stories told about teenagers

focus on hormones, gossip and being moody, but that isn’t the full spectrum of teenage life at all.

Young people are creative, resilient and hilarious and we wanted to celebrate that, and put teenage girls centrestage. We wanted to make something that was adventurous and funny and explored the topics young people care about today – which is why the story explores the expectations we have of young people, especially in terms of exams and climate change.

Is there a particular reason you chose to focus on a coming-of-age story?

They’re my favourite type of story. I like going on a journey with a character and feeling empowered or uplifted at the end. Coming-of-age stories don’t have to be about teens but they often are, and we’ve really leant into that with SHEWOLVES. I’m a big fan of Stand By Me and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which are both about young people venturing into the wild, so SHEWOLVES offered the chance to explore a similar journey but for two girls from the middle of England.

What made you want to write a full-length play?

I’ve written several children’s musicals, which have to be short because of the age of the audiences. SHEWOLVES is only an hour long, because Edinburgh shows can’t be longer than 60 minutes, and teen audiences are used to watching tv and other content that often runs at an hour or less. I like making work that feels visual and filmic, so even though its full length, it’s still structured like a film and it’s pretty snappy!

What has it been like returning to the show with the same cast from Edinburgh Fringe?

We got so lucky casting Gurjot Dhaliwal and Harriet Waters. They’re both brilliant to work with, and they’ve become good friends off stage too, so it’s been really lovely. They both graduated in the pandemic so this is the first time they’ve worked on a show over a long period. This year, I think their performances are even more detailed than in Edinburgh. It’s been great to see them develop the characters. I’ve seen the show quite a lot but they still make me laugh when they find new things to try.

What do you hope audiences take away from SHEWOLVES?

I hope teenagers leave feeling uplifted and empowered to use their voices to make change in their lives – in big or small ways. I hope it gives adults an opportunity to consider the pressures we’re putting on young people, and to listen more closely to what teenagers have to say.

How would you describe SHEWOLVES in one word?

Fizzy!

SHEWOLVES runs at the Southwark Playhouse from 21 June to 8 July. Tickets can be purchased here.