Bad Girls - The Musical

Synopsis

Set in the fictional H.M.P. Larkhall, it’s the story of new idealistic wing governor Helen Stewart and her battles with the entrenched old guard of officer Jim Fenner and his sidekick Sylvia 'Bodybag' Hollamby. It also follows the love story that develops between Helen and charismatic inmate Nikki Wade. Other featured characters include Shell Dockley and her runner Denny Blood, old-timer Noreen Biggs, the two Julies and the ultimate top dog, king-of-gangland’s missus, Yvonne Atkins. A tragic death on the wing - in which Jim Fenner is implicated - leads to an angry protest from the women and forces Helen and Nikki to their opposite sides of the bars. But when it’s clear that Helen stands to lose her job over Jim Fenner's misdeeds, the race is on for the women to nail Jim once and for all.

Our Review:

14 September 2007

First seen at the West Yorkshire Playhouse last summer, Bad Girls - The Musical represents a serious and fairly entertaining attempt to draw our attention to the iniquities of a prison system which “bangs up” women who shouldn’t be there and subjects them to abuse and humiliation from the staff who despise them.

This makes the show sound grimmer than it is, and doesn’t allow for the passing nod to genuine malefactors, arsonists, habitual shop-lifters and delinquents. But I think most of us believe that women are a much nicer lot than men and not often party to the horrors of organised crime or mass murders. Prostitution only exists because men create the market for it.

The authors Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus – they wrote the television series on which the show is based, as well as Footballers’ Wives – may not have re-written the history of musical theatre, but they have produced a tight, taut show full of human spirit, and rooted in ...

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Latest User Review

Aimee - 8 November 2007:

“I shouldn’t be here”: the cast of Bad Girls the Musical warns the audience and no they shouldn’t. How did a production with so many explicit, sexist references make it to London’s Garrick Theatre? The answer is- through the success of the ITV drama Bad Girls, on which it is based. Set in the fictional HMP Larkhall women’s prison, the story follows inmates and guards- characters from the drama series. Guard Jim Fenner (David Burt) praying on the vulnerability of the inmates, like a lion, creeping upon his prey, eventually raping one (Rachel Hicks played by Emily Aston) who kills herself. The member of authority is fought against by the inmates, who eventually get him fired. But the women use similarly underhand behaviour- recording equipment is literally thrown in from one of the boxes, (which is ridiculous), and he is tricked into admitting what he has done. This is problematic: are the creators (Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus) suggesting that the only way to fight such unjust behaviour is through being deceitful? The story is flawed from the outset: they could have created a gritty text but the cheesy grins and the overly used ‘jazz hands’ meant it couldn’t work! Chadwick and McManus suggest that prisons are filled with sex crazed, drug addicts. The show is riddled with stereotypes- Nicky Wade (Caroline Head) the lesbian, Yvonne Atkins (Sally Dexter) the sex crazed, sings “I want some action inside my pants”, similar to Fenner’s justification for the rape as he sings “ever slut, every slag, ever shag’s in the bag”, the writing (songs by Kath Gotts) is crude, brash and offensive to women; especially considering the songs and script were by three women. The staging was also at times, ridiculous. Although Fenner is a rapist- the second half begins with Burt performing a routine reminiscent of ‘Beauty School Drop Out’ from Grease: he wears a top hat, and sings whilst walking down a flight of stairs, framed by a glitter back drop, the ensemble of 10 women gyrate around him as though he is a rock star, not a prison guard, and certainly not a rapist. The set (Colin Richmond) it self is simple, cold even, but a little too bland- with the occasional appearance of corrugated iron doors wheeled in by guards, or an iron panel with two urinals attached. Scenes occur with Fenner and the number one (Michael N. Harbour), whilst they were going to the toilet- a technique which makes the words inaudible. The production borrows what has been successful elsewhere: urinal’s work in television shows because characters can be secretive whilst viewers can see characters faces. Similarly the ‘Beauty school drop out’ number works, in Grease because of the character that is singing. Even Chicago works; because the women choose to be sexual as opposed to being forced upon them by members of authority. Bad Girls the Musical is stereotyped, poorly written and clearly borrows from other productions, so the possible talent of its cast, cannot be seen. ...

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