Nostalgic, wholesome and gratifyingly Australian, Saturday Girls reminds us of the days when high school hook ups, popularity and parents occupied our minds and the stakes of life never felt higher.

Best friends Sam and Joey are both on the Year 10 dance team at a prestigious Sydney private school, inseparable despite their differences. Then Joey’s ex-boyfriend leaks her nude photo and rumours fly about Sam kissing a girl a party, complicating the drama with her debate partner who’s like, totally in love with her. The unanticipated high school sexual politics send Sam and Joey spinning into unfamiliar territory, but their bond will be strong enough to weather it – right?

Miranda Michalowski’s Saturday Girls is another warm and nourishing instalment of stories about women, by women and for women, following the playwright’s writing debut Young Bodies/Somebody’s in 2022. As in Young Bodies, which deals with the topic of eating disorders, Saturday Girls addresses the difficult topics of revenge porn and navigating sexuality amidst the uncertainty of adolescence in a way that is critical of the issue, empathetic, and that does not allow it to define the characters, or the story.

The care with which Michalowski constructs her characters is evident in the layered relationship between Sam and Joey, performed with heart and authenticity by Mym Kwa and Lucy Burke respectively. Kwa’s clunky and uncomfortable attempts to talk about sex and love is endearingly naïve and unencumbered, while the clash of Burke’s perpetual yearning to explore her sexuality on her own terms and fear of disappointing her mum, teachers and the ‘cool girls’ at school is painful to watch – I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her it was all going to be okay! Together they capture the immense trust and vulnerability, as well as wholesome silliness, inherent to female relationships.

Direction by LJ Wilson brings out the extreme highs, lows and cringe of high school through dance routines, locker-door slamming, and awkward encounters with mean girl Gabby, portrayed by Candice Mejias, and Sam’s debate friend Rory, played by Brandon Scane. Both Mejias and Scane have fun with their roles, leaning into their respective tropes with gusto. Scane in particular complements the Joey and Sam’s central storyline in his clumsy flirting with Sam, and beautiful display of platonic boy-girl friendship.

Wilson also has a lot of fun with the Australian aspects of the story. Boost smoothies and grape Zappos from the petrol station feature prominently, and even the train station announcements voice gets a little time in the spotlight. With Australian stories like Heartbreak High celebrating the little quirks unique to the Aussie adolescent experience increasingly on the global stage, Saturday Girls comes at just the right time.

Whether you loved or hated high school, Saturday Girls is a heartwarming throwback to more innocent times and a love letter to all the teenage girls that were, are, and will be.

Purchase your ticket to Saturday Girls here.

Pinot Gris | Wine Pairing

Pinot gris is a light, fruity white, tending towards the fruitier side and with lots of body. Flirty and fun, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and works for a diverse range of foods and palates.

Saturday Girls, Belvoir St Theatre | Tasting Notes

Aussie Season	9 to 27 Aug 2023, Belvoir St Theatre
Ticket $	$25
Writer	Miranda Michalowski
Director	LJ Wilson
Theatre Type & Genre	Play, adolescent drama
See it if you like	Heartbreak High, Upright
Wine Pairing	Pinot Gris
Criteria for Wine Pairing	Fruity, particularly citrus