Lavvies

It’s 1999. It’s the female toilets of DAZZLER’s, a grubby nightclub in Essex. Best friends Rachel and Ange are out ‘clubbing’ together for the first time in a long time. It is Rachel’s first night out since her husband left her for a younger model. 

But, during the evening, conversations are overheard, secrets are outed and lies discovered all amongst the normal comings and goings of ladies’ loos shenanigans. 

‘LAVVIES’ is a light-hearted glimpse into interactions between women in the toilets of a typical nightclub where the emotional trust account of friendship is tested and topic’s such as infidelity, teen pregnancy, substance use, conflict and sisterhood are alluded to. 

Writer: Ruth Carraway

Director: Ruth Carraway

Performers: Alison Bettles, Lisa York, Fiona Lee Fraser, Tia Kelf, Ruth Carraway

A team made up of long-time friends. Ruth wrote a short version of LAVVIES when she lived in New Zealand as part of an emerging writer’s programme in 2018. Due to the success of the rehearsed reading, she went on to write the full version which was then performed as a sold-out season at the 2019 Dunedin. The success of LAVVIES meant people were clamouring for the next instalment of the story, so she wrote LAVVIES 2. This was performed, with the same female crew, at the 2024 Dunedin Fringe Festival again to a sold-out season.  

Ruth has been back in the UK since March 2024 and was keen for LAVVIES to be performed in her home country. After all, it is set in a nightclub in Essex. The wonderful Kiwi actors worked hard to perfect the Essex twang. 

Now back in the UK, she asked her lovely actor friends who, many moons ago, she acted alongside in a children’s television programme called ‘Grange Hill’ if they’d like to be involved. Thankfully they said ‘yes’ – phew. They are super keen to support Ruth in this venture and all excited to be working together again after nearly 40 years. it’s going to be a blast. The LAVVIES team are proud to introduce an emerging talent to the company.