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The Hen Night

Òran Mór, Glasgow

Four stars

 

Don’t mess with the Hens in Debbie Hannan’s new play, the latest lunchtime epic to grace A Play, a Pie and a Pint’s current season. As Jade, Amber and Lilac gather for their best pal Coral’s weekend extravaganza, they are already a force to be reckoned with. Once Coral’s so called cousin and unexpected guest Luna checks in with the WhatsApp group, however, by the end of their 48 Hours of regimented fun in the Athens of the North, they will have become goddesses. 

 

This is brought to mercurial life by three of the finest female acting talents of their generation, with Danni Heron as Jade, Laura Lovemore as Lilac and Anna Russell-Martin as Amber joining forces as a chorus to end them all on Heather Grace Currie’s celestial looking set. As the trio double up as Coral and Luna in this co-production with Assembly Roxy in Edinburgh, the level of female energy on show goes stratospheric in its mix of ancient situations applied to thoroughly modern times. 

 

Hannan has achieved something remarkable in Laila Noble’s deceptively serious production. On one level, she has tapped into the invincible spirit of female friendship and all the rituals that go with it as the Hens watch each others backs and present an almighty united front no matter what. In olden days some might have called it girl power. 

 

On a more mythological level, Hannan has taken this irresistible collective force and reimagined them as full on Furies, bringing the Greek roots of drama bang up to date. The end result is a warning to the men who misbehave. They play with one woman’s heart, they face the wrath of all in a gloriously gallus classical gas. 


The Herald, June 6th 2026

 

Ends

 

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