Two precocious and troublemaking South London teens have been given an ultimatum by their principal: sever all contact with their best friend, or risk not graduating.

In SISTREN at the Old Fitz, Isla (Iolanthe) and Violet (Janet Anderson) meet after school to discuss their suspension, examine old grudges and make each other laugh.

It’s easy to see the influence of Jasmine Lee-Jones’ seven methods of killing Kylie Jenner in actress Iolanthe’s playwriting debut SISTREN. Iolanthe, an Afro-Caribbean/Australian actress, made her mainstage debut in Green Door’s hit 2022-2023 tour of seven methods while she was still at NIDA. Both plays – seven methods and SISTREN – are witty two-handers about Gen-Z female friendships in the internet era.

However, while SISTREN is very entertaining – mainly due to the chemistry of the leads – it lacks a formal clarity which makes viewing frustrating at times.

Janet Anderson and Iolanthe in SISTREN. Photo © Brett Boardman

Iolanthe seems indecisive about what story she wants to tell. The core narrative of SISTREN is ostensibly about two codependent best friends forced to reckon with ways they’ve inadvertently hurt one another in the past.

But that plot – an earnest...