Top Girls
by Caryl Churchill

Name: Top Girls
Brand: Caryl Churchill
SKU: 9780413554802
Rating: 3.58 (9731 reviews)

Highlights

Small Cast

Female

120 minsBritish Comedy

Awards & Recognition

Drama Critics CircleObie Award

Winner! 1983 Obie Award for Best Play Winner! 1983 Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play

What readers are saying

Readers have mixed feelings about the play, with many praising its deep themes and complex characters. Some find the overlapping dialogue and unconventional structure challenging, but those who appreciate it highlight the play's rich exploration of women's experiences across time. While the first act is widely lauded for its engaging dinner party scene, opinions diverge on the effectiveness and clarity of the subsequent acts.

Deep and thought-provoking themesEngaging and complex charactersMasterful use of dialogueRich exploration of women's historyOverlapping dialogue can be confusingLater acts feel disconnectedSome find it hard to follow

Synopsis

Marlene hosts a dinner party in a London restaurant to celebrate her promotion to managing director of 'Top Girls' employment agency.

Her guests are five women from the past: Isabella Bird (1831- 1904) - the adventurous traveller; Lady Nijo (b1258) - the mediaeval courtesan who became a Buddhist nun and travelled on foot through Japan; Dull Gret, who as Dulle Griet in a Bruegel painting, led a crowd of women on a charge through hell; Pope Joan - the transvestite early female pope and last but not least Patient Griselda, an obedient wife out of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

As the evening continues we are involved with the stories of all five women and the impending crisis in Marlene's own life.

A classic of contemporary theatre, Churchill's play is seen as a landmark for a new generation of playwrights.

It was premiered by the Royal Court in 1982.

"Top Girls has a combination of directness and complexity which keeps you both emotionally and intellectually alert.

You can smell life, and at the same time feel locked in an argument with an agile and passionate mind."

(John Peter, Sunday Times)

Press Reviews

"A blistering yet sympathetic look at women who achieve success by adopting the worst traits of self-made men... Truly original."
— The New York Times