Di and Viv and Rose at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch

[Ad- gifted experience] Normally, Dann and I head over to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch to check out their latest productions, but this time Amelia asked if she could come along! Amelia actually went to this theatre with her school, not so long ago, and has been really enjoying performances. As Di and Viv and Rose is a play about growing up together, about friendship, and had a slightly lower age rating at teenagers, Amelia was interested in coming along (and quite enjoyed it too.)

Di and Viv and Rose is a play that moves through the 80s, 90s and noughties showing how three unlikely friends grew together and then a part, as their worlds all collided then changed over time. Di is a sporty lesbian, Viv is an academic and a feminist, and Rose is a ditsy blonde. All three of them attend the same university, where they ended up as friends sort of held together by Di, and move in together.

There are lots of flashes at iconic culture and fashion from this time period, as the girls all celebrate being on their own for the first time, coming together, and getting use to living with people who may not be exactly what they are use too. There are real concerns over Rose’s social life and how much she is sleeping around instead of being careful, highs when it comes to Viv’s speeches and her opinions on what females endure, and of Di’s dating life alongside who she is and what her parents know about her.

The stage transitions through the timeline with both costume changes, adding more furniture to the house, and through years being projected on the wall. At first, years move slowly as the girls have very high-highs and then go through some traumatic things together. Over time, however, they do need to move out and go their separate ways. Di and Viv and Rose doesn’t stop when they all move out, and instead they continue their separate lives, with us seeing glimpses that are more spread out. They meet up a few times, seeing how they all have changed, but their lives are in completely different directions.

Di and Viv and Rose does end in quite a shock, with the real understanding of how some people can be the other’s whole world, and then just grow so far a part, that previous instances were a distance memory. Amelia and I afterwards had a conversation about growing up and about the people who are important in our lives, which was lovely as well. It’s a funny, interesting, and deeply captivating show.

You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!