The NT describe it thusly:
From the creator of Billy Elliot (Lee Hall) comes the uplifting and moving story of six Catholic choir girls from Oban, let loose in Edinburgh for one day only.A lot of people seem to have struggled getting beyond the lewdness on Our Ladies, but if all you do is get hung up about the swearing you have really missed the point.
Funny, heartbreaking and raucously rude, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is adapted from Alan Warner’s brilliant novel about six young friends on the cusp of change and is directed by Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone.
Featuring the songs of ELO, Our Ladies is a glorious anthem to friendship, youth and growing up disgracefully.
Prepare thyself for… really rude language, flashing lights, pyrotechnics, lots of sexual references, excessive drinking, and extensive use of the smoke machine.
The stories of the six schoolgirls, on their trip to Edinburgh, are poignant, and even though the characters are lairy, the way their story develops is really touching. If you walk out before the end, then you don't reach the points of resolution and the 'morning after' clarity of the play. And that would be your loss.
Of course, you can't review Our Ladies without discussing the music. The performances of both the actors and the band are phenomenal. Really, the singing is just incredible. I left the theatre uplifted: it it a thing of joy. I've never encountered a show that blends traditional choral pieces with ELO before... and probably never will again. The juxtaposition of the two means that when the choral music cuts through the rock, it is simply stunning.
I absolutely recommend Our Ladies, but if you're prudish about swearing, sex, or wild drunkenness, it's probably not the play for you.
4/5: Proud, loud, funny, but touching
Duke of York's Theatre
Until September
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