REVIEW: THE VIRGINS @ SOHO THEATRE

🎭 The Virgins

📍 Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE

🗓 Thursday 5th February 2026

⭐️ 4 Stars

SUBURBAN ANGST IN SPLIT-SCREEN

It seems evident to me that Miriam Battye has a real knack for capturing the jagged, often uncomfortable edges of modern intimacy. In THE VIRGINS, now playing at the Soho Theatre, she turns her sharp gaze towards that most volatile of milestones - "the first time".

No matter your age, it's a production that feels pulse-quickeningly current, even when it's making you want to curl into a ball and hide under your seat!

The most striking element upon entering the Main House is Rosie Elnile's wonderful set design. It's a clever, divided dollhouse of suburban angst (I was pleased with that one!), splitting the stage between a cramped bathroom and a teenage living room. This architectural divide perfectly mirrors the play's emotional split - the girls upstairs performing the frantic ritual of getting ready, while the boys downstairs simulate combat through video games to avoid talking about their feelings.

The ensemble cast here is, quite frankly, electric. Anushka Chakravarti and Ella Bruccoleri, as longtime friends Chloe and Jess, share a chemistry that feels lived-in and dangerously fragile. Zoë Armer brings a chilling, magnetic confidence as Anya, the catalyst who forces the group to confront their desires.

Rogevan Vasan and Alec Boaden as Joel and Mel provide a heartwarming counterpoint, capturing that specific brand of male vulnerability that usually stays buried under bravado.

For me though, the undeniable standout of the ensemble is Molly Hewitt-Richards as Phoebe. She is a comic firecracker, possessing the kind of outstanding comic timing and economy of gesture that simply cannot be taught. Whether she's clattering through her insecurities or making a simple statement of the obvious hilarious, she has the audience in the palm of her hand. Hewitt-Richards brings a special brand of awkwardness to the stage, and her performance feels so authentic. Every facial contortion and flustered ramble lands with precision, ensuring that Phoebe is a character we not only laugh with, but one we feel fiercely protective of. It is an exceptional performance that marks her as one to watch.

Under Jaz Woodcock-Stewart's direction, the pacing is initially breathless. She leans into the 'fever dream' quality of the script, finding the surrealism and hilarity in the mundane.

However, the production hits a snag in its technical execution. The play is punctuated by severe, jarring blackouts between scenes. Perhaps they were intended to represent the fragmented memory of a chaotic night, but their frequency and duration began to feel like a structural hurdle rather than a stylistic choice. Just as a scene reached its emotional peak, the lights would snap to black, stalling the momentum and interrupting the flow of the storytelling. It's a shame, but in a play that relies so heavily on building a pressure-cooker atmosphere, these constant 'resets' occasionally let the stream out of the room.

Despite the rhythmic hiccups caused by the lighting cues, THE VIRGINS is a visceral, vital piece of writing. It manages to be both hilariously funny and deeply upsetting, often in the same breath. Battye doesn't offer easy answers about sex or consent, but she captures the terrifying pressure to "be ready" with surgical precision.

It is a messy, loud, and deeply human look at the stories of youth we can all relate too. If I'm perfectly honest, I was worried it would feel like a school exam piece, but I was happily proved very wrong.

THE VIRGINS continues performances at Soho Theatre until Saturday 7th March. Click here to check availability and to book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of The Virgins was gifted by Soho Theatre who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Zoë Armer as Anya; Alec Boaden as Mel; Ella Bruccoleri as Jess; Anushka Chakravarti as Chloe; Molly Hewitt-Richards as Phoebe; Ragevan Vasan as Joel

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 25 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Flashing lights; Severe blackouts; Depictions of sex; Depictions of drug use; References to sexual assault

AGE GUIDELINES:

16 +

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