Though the cast are likely around the same age, the characters they play are not. Beth is the oldest. Usually sits in a comfortable chair, puffing on a cigarette, offering words of wisdom, and clearly has deep insight into some of the troubles they’re going through. Countered by Beth, the younger, boisterous rebel of the group. Balancing these two personalities are Val and Caroline, the Scottish duo who have certainly been through the wars together. The final personality is their leader of sorts, Althea. Seeing how these women connect with Madonna is heartwarming and deeply touching. Across generations, her voice not only seems to have given their lives purpose and additional meaning but also provides many other women with hope.

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A lot of Madonna’s early music, especially from the True Blue album, explores rebellion, sex, religion, relationships, and what young women face in finding their voices and place in the world. As the women of The Boline Inn dance with joy at this newfound liberation they’ve discovered through Madonna's music, one feels the millennia of struggle women have gone through, and will continue to go through, for them to live their lives without fear. Though I was initially hesitant about the subplot involving Jane’s uncle, I can see the value of his inclusion by Mulholland, and it serves two distinct narratives for the plot.

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The first is a line from Althea to one of the other women along the lines of ‘She [Jane] is searching for a man in a town of women.’ I thought this line was very interesting and left a lot open for the audience. Was the uncle lured to the woods? And the second is the ending. There isn’t a great deal of time spent delving into the uncle’s plot; the small nuggets they offer suggest possible wider nefarious actions by the women.

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Another strength of Mulholland’s text is that she never makes anything too obvious, and she’s created six full characters with meaty roles; the narrative meanders and sometimes doesn’t always connect. It’s through Betty’s somewhat underhanded actions towards Jane that more of the plot is unpacked, and we learn that Jane’s mother is well aware of Jane’s hidden gifts but has not, so far, informed her daughter. This allows the audience to let their imagination run riot. Do the women of the Boline Inn and Jane’s family really know each other? Was there pressure being put on Jane’s mother? Was the uncle sent to The Boline Inn to try and relieve that pressure?

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These are all the questions unpacked in this scene between Betty and Jane, and, if I am really honest, it is a testament to the writing. But this is a double-edged sword in a way, as the show runs about an hour, which makes the plot too dense, yet they manage to get it in. This is a testament to the company's willingness to push the boundaries of its first production.

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As a theatre reviewer I enjoy delving into possible meanings of a play. When I heard Jane’s name for the first time, I never gave it much thought, but over the course of the play, the significance of that name began to hit home. Back in the 1960s, during the prohibition on abortion in America, an organisation was set up that helped women have safe, albeit illegal, abortions. A documentary released in 2022 called “The Janes”; they explain why they chose the name Jane; it wasn’t a very common name in America at the time. The deep-rooted feminist core of The Boline Inn made me think of this film and the struggle women have had and continue to face in a society intent on maintaining control over women.

"A lot is packed into this show that could have done with an edit and certain omissions to help other aspects of the narrative breathe more easily."

There is a mix of humour, dark comedy, and happy accidents that keep the play flowing with ease. Perhaps two of the funniest moments involved Mulholland accidentally dropping a tray full of crockery, which caused an unintended jump – the somewhat subtle way she tried to clear it up added a bit of naturalism that I liked a lot. The other funny moment was when Jane mispronounced Althea’s name only to be corrected, and the look of annoyance on Stokes’s face was a picture. But outside of the final scene, the best scene, which was both funny and detailed, involved Mulholland and a phone call. When Mulholland picked up the phone, I was mortified that the prop had been placed incorrectly and really felt for Mulholland, as she did the scene. And then out of nowhere, Mulholland leans into it, seemingly hamming up the ‘mistake’, which I thought was wonderfully done. It’s only with the following scene that you realise that the whole thing was scripted, which actually blew me away. Playing a scene like that, as Mulholland did, leaned heavily on it being a false mistake, isn’t easy to do; it’s like trying to cry or do slapstick on the fly.

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One aspect I would have liked would be for Caroline and Val, clearly old friends, to have their ribbing in Gaelic. This would have given their characters a little extra substance; also, it would add greatly to the supernatural elements of the play.

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Co-directors Craze and Jobst have done a good job with their debut production and have brought a team that, much like The Meadow Report, has a lot of passion, drive, and commitment to their debut production, and it shows. Blackhurst set complemented by Lauren Marks' lighting, Joseph Staines' atmospheric sound, and Hannah Wickman’s brilliantly crafted recycled, avant-garde costumes.

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The Boline Inn isn’t without fault. A lot is packed into this show that could have done with an edit and certain omissions to help other aspects of the narrative breathe more easily. There is a lot of coming and going in the performance space, and the curtain that divides the room could have been utilised more. As an example of what The Meadow Report might do in the future, The Boline Inn is written with passion, care, and insight, all realised by a company that clearly has a hunger for their craft, which is exciting to witness.