★★★★
Almost being an adult is hard. This is particularly the case for sexually frustrated best friends, Nina and Noa. With no romantic vision beyond fantasies for their college teachers, the pair do often talk about the topic of having at least some kind of experience in this department to recount. However, knowing the finer details, like which gender parter they'd like to be involved, wasn't a strong point, especially for Noa.
To soften this revelation, the two girls- Georgia Vyvyan as Noa; Julia Pilkington as Nina- begin creating an alternative storyline that they enjoy bringing to life together. Set in the Deep South of America, and featuring various interesting and troubled characters with some questionable names on their ranch, a depiction of their creative minds comes to life, that includes elements of their own personal relationship discoveries, that appear accurate for many queer people. Switching between the blended narrative of their imagination and real life is done skilfully, despite being deliberately comedic. Each of their distinct mannerisms and nuances are displayed to a tee, playing to stereotypes, but not pushing it to become too much (even with the accents!). There are moments when the story becomes a little hard to follow, but this does not detract from the excellence of the overall piece.
Complied into an hour of joy, this is the ideal length for character development, to allow the audience to become immersed into the relationship between Nina and Noa without overdoing it, leaving the show with a sweet and well-rounded ending. The set is simple- mostly comprised of blue washed wood, with a box in the middle which the girls frequently sit upon to talk- and the costumes too are nothing extravagant, but is effective and accurately fit with the general ambience of the show being low-key. This tone isn't exhibited with regards to the witty script that never misses the mark, and both Georgia and Julia who excel at their roles.
Scholar's Creek, written and directed by Billie Esplen, is a beautifully hilarious romantic comedy that explores being queer and in love, and how important it is to write our own stories to reflect how we are. It is outrageously funny, and gay too- what more could you want?