Writer: Jon Keevy
Director: Inge Crafford-Lazarus
A Girl Called Owl is a compelling story of childhood friendship and heartbreaking teenage encounters, set in early-nineties South Africa. This one-woman play is staged by the fabulously talented Crafford-Lazarus sisters, who have fused their names Calista, Larissa and Inge to form Calaringe Productions.
Larissa plays watchful Olivia (or “Owl” as her new friend Kay dubs her), whose mother is long-dead and who moves to a new town with her single-parent dad, a police officer. The dance-like recreation of childhood is outstanding. Climbing trees, swimming in the pool, punching bullies, exploring new territory. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of longing, loss, alienation and the brutal realities of teenage life.
Jon Keevy’s A Girl Called Owl is a beautifully written, but narrative-heavy piece, which often reads more like a first-person short story than a drama. In the skilled hands of the Crafford-Lazarus sisters, it becomes a theatrical tour-de-force. Directed by Inge and choreographed by Calista, Larissa switches fluidly between the two young friends, each with their own distinct voice and physicality. She also brings to life the strict teacher who represses Olivia’s urge to draw, Kay’s floppy-fringed boyfriend, and several other characters, each perfectly delineated in a highly effective piece of solo theatre.
Inge is also responsible for an evocative sound design that recreates nighttime in Overberg, a school corridor, a loud teenage party, without intruding on the story’s quieter moments. Jak J. Brits’ lighting is equally impressive. Purple evening shadows, a pumping disco, and an abandoned house are all cleverly evoked in subtle shifts of colour and intensity. UV lights and puffs of powder-smoke transport the audience to darkling gardens and befuddled teenage nights.
The staging, expertly managed by Alex Alexander, is simple, using boxes and blankets with well-choreographed versatility to represent different scenes. The intimate landscapes of small-town life are simple (a small lawn, a big tree) but vivid: the jacaranda, the stifling classroom, the shredded cabbage, the stoep (porch). The programme even provides a glossary in case any local details should be lost in translation.
The play was written in the 2000s, but its poignant themes (friendship, family, creativity, sexuality) are still current. The father’s overbearing character (“You’re my girl and I will always look after you”) is lightly but convincingly sketched. Larissa Crafford-Lazarus is endlessly watchable as she deftly conjures the complicated reality of Olivia’s early life and love. This is a mesmerising theatrical story that deserves a wider audience.
Runs until 15 August 2026
Camden Fringe 2026 runs until 30 August
