Three toilet cubicles sit on stage. As we settle in, we begin to notice the details – each cubicle wall is covered in scribbled messages, ‘Protect the dolls,’ ‘BRAT,’ phone numbers and dates of wild nights out. We’re in a club bathroom in the heart of Shoreditch and more specifically, a women’s bathroom. And as the night unfolds, we’re introduced to a rotating cast of characters, all multi-roled by a talented and dynamic ensemble.

A friendship forms over the loo doors and drinks are passed as Lara (April Hope Miller) explains she’s hiding from her old best friend who she once blamed a fart on during assembly at primary school. In the next cubicle, she consoles Noe (Ayesha Griffiths), who’s reeling from a rough Hinge date (we’ve all been there)! Instantly, there’s a sense of warmth, comfort and intimacy – the kind many of us have found in the sanctuary of the women’s bathroom.

As the night goes on, more groups enter. A gang of teenage girls who’ve snuck into the club, gossip about the pressure to shave and debate whether to send nudes to boys, with Miya Ocego’s character stressing over perfecting Charli XCX’s Apple dance for TikTok. A hen party bursts in, dragging a giant inflatable penis with them and we watch one bridesmaid (Ayesha Griffiths) sensitively reconnect with fellow bridesmaid El (Joanna Strafford), who is quietly in denial about an ongoing eating disorder. Then there’s Billie (Jazz Jenkins), who’s at a work party for a new job she’s moved to the UK from America for. She excitedly voice notes her friend, gushing about her boss Dave who she thinks might fancy her. Her colleagues (Ocego and Griffiths) exchange worried glances, recalling seeing her disappear with ‘creepy Dave’ into the smoking area.

The actors bring an infectious energy to the space. This is a true ensemble piece and their conversations flow with ease, bouncing off the bathroom walls with emotional honesty and moments of real humour. Billie’s storyline, in particular, hits hard and in one scene she locks herself in a cubicle mid panic attack, her surroundings blurring and contorting as she tries to make sense of her night, repeating exchanges and piecing together fragments of memory.

FLUSH tackles a wide range of topics and themes, but it never feels overcrowded or hyperbolic in the slightest. Everything is organic, believable and grounded in truth and often, it’s genuinely funny, with the audience cracking up and reacting right on cue. It gives us characters we recognise and relate to, voices we’ve heard before – maybe even our own. It’s a moving homage to the memorable bonds formed between women in spaces that offer moments of safety and solidarity. It reminds us that in a world that so often feels dangerous and overwhelming, sometimes what you really need is a hug in the women’s bathroom.

The final moments leave a lasting impact and I won’t spoil them here – go see it and feel it all for yourself. FLUSH is on til 25^th August at Pleasance Courtyard. Tickets available here!

Photo by Jake Bush.