THEATRE REVIEW: What Girls Are Made Of @ Edinburgh Traverse

Capturing the dreams and naiveties of a teenage girl on the edge of the 90s music scene, What Girls Are Made Of is the autobiographical story of Cora Bissett’s music career that almost took off when she was just 17, recounting her brushes with fame and the highs and lows she experienced along the way. Simultaneously a poignant memoir and a comedic dive into nineties nostalgia, Bissett uses her teenage diaries as the springboard to telling her story, both euphoric and painfully sad. Bissett calls upon her experiences throughout her life as a means of passing on the lessons she has learnt to her own daughter, to the audience and to girls everywhere. The play celebrates the contradictions, fantasies, insecurities and heartbreaks that shape girls everywhere and inform the women they are to become.

In the attic of her parent’s home in Glenrothes, Fife, following her father’s death, Bissett unearths her teenage diaries. Unlike most teenagers dreaming of escaping their small town roots, Bissett succeeds, until she doesn’t. Answering a newspaper advert posted by a Kirkcaldy band looking for a singer, the teenage Bissett joined Darlingheart, and her dreams of becoming a singer and following in the steps of her musical heroines looked set to come true. The story hilariously follows the rise of the band and their dealings with record bosses and dodgy managers, while juggling school concerts and tours supporting Blur and Radiohead.

With the stage set as though at a gig with amps, guitars, lights and microphones, music is at the centre of the play with the cast performing live, telling the story of Bissett’s journey to great effect. Simon Donaldson, Susan Bear and Harry Ward are versatile as musicians and actors, playing Bissett’s bandmates as well as school bullies, family members and sleazy music industry insiders with great skill and comedic effect. The music is a joy throughout, evoking teenage dreams and angst within the 90s music scene, the whirlwind journey of the band and Bissett’s experiences of joy, excitement and loss. In particular, the power and control of Bissett’s voice changes the mood in an instant, electrifying the audience.

The play perfectly encapsulates the naivety of a teenage girl, guided by the values instilled by her upbringing while trying to pursue her dreams. Triumphantly, Bissett weaves together the lessons she has learnt so far in her life of fleeting highs and desperate lows, acknowledging the strong women who have shaped her, from her family to her musical heroes. Bissett and her castmates give an energetic performance, enthralling the audience as though they had just watched a show by their favourite band. If Bissett hopes to inspire girls to follow their dreams and embrace the highs and lows of their lives, she has surely succeeded.