Bittergirl

"Bittergirl", originally produced in 1990's Toronto, is play which follows three women, all in different stages in their lives, who are coping with well... being dumped. From self-care, to violent thoughts, to rebounding, Bittergirl follows the up and downs of a breakup with a sharp script and excellent acting.

Bittergirl is one of a decent number of Fringe shows this year which license pre-existing work, in this case a 27 year old Canadian play (with some updated references). The choice of Bittergirl, written by Annabel Griffiths, Alisan Lawrence, and Mary Francis Moore, for Little Sis Co. is a natural decision. Having caught, and loved, Primadonna last year, the choice of female fronted work with a fast pace is very on-brand for the collective. The actors, all from Primadonna plus a new face in Jacob Gorr, take to Bittergirl with the same ferocity and chemistry as last Fringe. They work insanely well together, and nail their individual moments too. The characters are differentiated well from each other too in the performances, an impressive feat for a script where the characters tend to mesh together a bit.

The actual script itself is messy, not in a bad way, and quite relatable to a variety of relationship issues. It does have a tendency to work itself into circles, which can be understood as break-ups don't exactly go down easy, but could have been benefitted by a little more character development, even if just to give the sudden ending some more justification. As well, even as someone who adores fast pace shows, both the script and its execution could use some valleys to balance out the hills. It starts at 100 and stays there throughout, which leads to some impressive acting performances and quick lighting design that is very effective, but also makes individual scenes and monologues start to feel a little same-y. While, as mentioned, the actors do a good job differentiating their characters, the script and blocking occasionally begins to meld together. If a few scenes or even just moments had a bit of a slower pace, it would have made the overall show feel more realized and impacting. The directing (Abby Witte) as a whole is superb, and each inch of the stage is used, but that would have brought it to the next level.

If I have any critiques, it's mostly because Little Sis Co. is an incredibly talented company and I've already seen them create outstanding, top rate theatre. For this show, it is a very worthy addition to their canon and only makes me more excited to keep seeing what they do next.

Andrea Noga, Alberta Youth Theatre Collective.

Bittergirl is without a doubt the kind of show that sticks in your brain. It's the perfect intersection of relatable and insightful, hilarious and heartbreaking, ambitious and focused and it's all executed by a cast of incredibly talented young actors. The women are all funny, personable, and vulnerable in turns and it makes each of them feel like someone you've known for years. They read as each other's best friends for better and worse, and their chemistry carries not just the scenes where they interact but also the snappy layered dialogue that makes up some of the most fun portions of the show. The only man in the cast holds up his end of the bargain, pivoting between different flavours of douchebag with a kind of ease that could make your skin crawl.

The production end of the show is also very well executed. The minimalist set, underscores the entire play with the sense that this is a period of change in all its characters' lives, and the sound design adds a layer of realism and grounding that fits each scene so well it's often almost imperceptible in the best way. The show's director absolutely knew what she was doing with her transitions, wasting not a second of the audience's time as scenes blend together in a way that feels natural and perfectly paced. A particular shoutout to the lighting design which leans into colour, shaping, and space in a way that creates contrast and movement without being at any point distracting.

If you haven't seen Bittergirl, you should absolutely try to find time for one of the last couple of runs before you're stuck waiting another year to see this incredible team.

Highly relatable stories told with heart and humour. Tight performances with a simple but solid design. I loved the relationship between the three female presenting characters created by the cast, and I really liked the simple set which was beautifully utilised.

I wanted to love this show more than I did.

What's great: all three female leads. They've got great comedic timing, they're funny, energetic and bring a life to the show. The set is pared down, but cute and does what it needs to do. Props are presented and rotated to great comic relief.

I have absolutely zero doubt Little Sis Co will go on to do some absolutely great things.

Ultimately, this show's script just needed some extra work. It felt like it was treading water, unwilling to escalate or cover new ground. When the "keying" adventure started, I was optimistic and excited that it was really going to ramp up, but it felt like it regressed and retreaded the same ground just minutes later.

There is some great sketch going on here, and there are the bones of a really cool work, but it's just not quite there yet.

BitterGirl completely pulled me in. I got more and more invested as it went on, and by the end I was hooked.

The way this show captures the modern dating scene across different ages is crazy accurate. It manages to explore genuinely deep conversations, relationships, heartbreak, and all the complicated realities of dating while still being absolutely hilarious. So many moments felt painfully real in the best possible way.

The delivery had me laughing, cringing, and gasping on repeat. The comedic writing is perfect, but it’s the incredibly talented actresses and actor who really bring everything to life. Their performances, chemistry, timing, and ability to switch between hilarious, enraged and heartfelt moments were amazing.

This show deserves all the love and praise it is getting. Funny, painfully relatable, beautifully performed, and surprisingly heartfelt.

I loved it so much that I went back and saw it a second time, just to experience it all over again. If that doesn’t tell you how good it is, I don’t know what will.

So well acted, the dialogue so well done and witty. I felt the story was incredibly real and vulnerable, they didn't shy away from showing the harsh and negative emotions and moments that come after a breakup. It was so raw that it was hard to watch at times. Very well done and highly recommended.

This story was very relatable. The performances were outstanding. The pacing was tight. Very satirical but padded with lots of empathy. The whole place was laughing for almost the whole performance. This is worth your time and money.

Wow! What a talented group of actors. They had me laughing from start to finish! I went in knowing nothing about the play but related to all the characters by the end! I will definitely be going back with more friends to watch it again!!!!

I was lucky enough to attend Bittergirl on opening night and it was a great start to my 2026 Fringe experience!

The dialogue was witty, the timing impeccable and the scenarios completely relatable! All four actors had great chemistry on stage together.

Some of the action takes place lower on the stage and was hard to see from where I was sitting, so I’d recommend sitting in the front row if available.

Go see this show if you have the chance. It’s a really fun way to spend 55 minutes!

The man you thought was in love with you, like you were in love with him, broke up with you. Now what? Bittergirl explores how three women that are in different stages of a romantic relationship grieve and reconcile from the devastation they experience from their breakups.

The performances of Kate Boswell, Avery Nault and Mariana Perri were filled with emotion. As their characters experience the heartbreak of a breakup with moments with dark humor mixed in. Even though it isn’t my cup of tea in terms of humor, others in the audience seemed to enjoy the humorous moments. The bits of audience interaction was wonderful as well and created some more comedic moments! Their execution of these moments of the different emotions these ladies are facing as they’re trying to cope with the breakup. Boswell, Nault, and Perri do a phenomenal job in their performance as these characters!

The lighting and sound design is stunning, the change in lighting during the internal monologues. Along with the audio of the phone calls that these ladies experienced and were on the receiving end of.

Even though the humor wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, Bittergirl is a fantastic show!

Another great production from this company. Funny, touching and insightful depictions of relationships and their endings. The cast handles rapid-fire, overlapping dialogue, and all the jokes land great.

This show was sooo brilliantly done! The actors were so talented and had such good chemistry with each other, it felt like they’ve known each other for years which adds on to the feeling of endearment for these girls!

It was so funny and dramatic, kind of like a chic flick 🤣 The music and lighting made the scenes so alive and really pulled it all together. Everybody should watch this!!!

Such a great show!!! The writing was super funny and relatable - it had the whole audience laughing from start to finish! All the actors were fantastic! It’s the perfect show for a night out with friends:)

Wow!! This was my wildcard pick for the Fringe and it did not disappoint! I went in blind with no expectations and was blown away on opening night. Hilarious, creative, fun, relatable, original, basically peak Fringe. Fantastic writing brought to life by a fantastic performance. My only regret is not taking more people with me!

This is the same company that put off Primadonna last year (which won a Patrons Pick award, I think!), and I enjoyed that one, so I was interested in their offering for this year.

This was so good! Freaking hilarious and oh-so-relatable - even if you haven't been in a relationship/a dysfunctional relationship for a long time, you will absolutely identify with some of the situations here. I was cackling throughout! All four actors play brilliantly off of each other, and you can tell they are comfortable on the stage. Set was minimal, but effective, and like with Primadonna, the lighting and sound effects really helped to pull this together. Highly recommend!

A "Best and Worst" Review

The Best: Without a doubt, the best direction I have seen in many years. Watching Bittergirl is a masterclass in dynamic story-forward blocking, comedic timing, using the entire theatre, and sheer originality.

The Worst: A couple of monologues felt rushed. Slow down and give the emotion some time to breathe.

Overall take: Hilarious and engaging. I would happily watch it again.

What a fantastic show! Gut splitting reflection on real life. If you’ve ever broken up with anyone you will die laughing! Actors were so skilled and hilarious with just a touch of pulled heartstrings and a dose of black humour. The audience was roaring! Best hour you could spend at the Fringe this year!