Book Club
Written and Directed by Francesca Bolam.
Presented by Nice Enough Productions.
Presented by the New York City Fringe Festival.
Thu April 2 at 9:20pm, Thu April 9 at 6pm, Sat April 11 at 3:40pm & Thu April 16 at 9:20pm, 2026
When friends get together for a book club, does the book ever actually get discussed? In a NYC apartment, audiences met five very different women with very different lives. The book was hardly discussed, and to my suspicion, hardly read.
Book Club, written and directed by Fracesca Bolam, is an engaging and witful dramedy that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Discussions that span different lifestyles, pasts, and current status fill the air, creating a tension only achieved by persons who reveal themselves in increments.
Different perspectives are brought to the forefront, igniting the every day conflicts we humans endure from those who think differently or see things differently than ourselves. Watching these five women felt all too real.
Affairs, cheating partners, pregnancy, failed business attempts, and the inability to take accountability bleed through this play. This is a one-act that focuses on character, as opposed to the plot-centered story. Bolam constructed this Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball-esque play beautifully.
Each character is distinct, has their quirks, and has a very strong personality. Seeing how they work together and clash is an audience member’s dream. The players brought these characters to life with a natural, magical, finesse that is hard to come by. Congratulations to Alice Highman (Claire), Sadie Pillion-Gardner (Yasmin), Skye Themeda Goss (Rachel), Madeleine Doré (Devi), and Tedecia Wint (Zoe).
In my opinion, this play is not over. The 60 minute mark ended with what felt like the end of a first act. Francesca Bolam has the opportunity (if she hasn’t already) to expand on the Book Club’s story and repair the friendships that seem to be on the rocks and come to a resolution about Devi’s pregnancy situation that might seriously involve Claire.
I do not want to give anything away, as this is a play you should really see yourself.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Amanda Montoni.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 13, 2026. All rights reserved.
