I had the pleasure of watching Undercoat Theatre’s adaption of Brian Conaghan’s ‘The M Word’. I’ve often worried that I don’t feel as connected to theatre as I do to other art forms, it has always felt as if there was a barrier between myself and the stage, preventing me from truly feeling the impact of the plays I would go to see. ‘The M Word’ entirely changed my perspective.
Maggie and Moya, two Scottish teenagers, aspire for a life that is far grander and more glamorous than what they’ve encountered at their small high school. Plagued by the usual teenage agonies of boys, crushes, and friendship; the two girls wrestle with both the misogyny they experience from society, but also the internalised misogyny they carry within themselves.
I laughed the entire way through ‘The M Word’, Grace Donaldson’s adaptation perfectly translates the humour of the original novel. I wasn’t just laughing because of Donaldson’s flawless writing; I was laughing because I could relate to Moya and Maggie so much- their comments on Arctic Monkeys and growing up in Scotland felt like they’d been plucked straight from my brain. It felt truly authentic.
Erin Emslie and Astrid Allen’s portrayals of Moya and Maggie struck me done to the bone. Their on-stage chemistry was palpable, their love for each other blinding. Maggie’s final soliloquy left me in tears, grieving for my own teenage experiences and losses. I think every single person in the audience could relate in some way, I was far from the only wet face that evening. Such a blend of comic relief and sincere depth is a triumph.
It’s difficult to tackle an adaptation, I remain sceptical of whether an adaptation can ever truly do the original text justice- however, Undercoat’s ‘The M Word’ hits the mark.
I’m excited to see what Undercoat Theatre Company produces next- I’ll absolutely be buying tickets.
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