American duo maguire wilder (writer) and Maiya Pacouche (director) present a compelling and disturbing portrayal of girlhood gone wrong. Based loosely on the Slenderman stabbings of 2014, 4 girls the first letter e follows a group of teenage girls as their friendship group falls apart, and their grip on reality swiftly follows.

The play’s greatest triumph is its unrelenting atmosphere of foreboding and imminent catastrophe. Even when the actors’ energy is high, and the tone playful, there’s always something lurking underneath. Is it the fictional ‘King’ character from the online game that the girls are obsessing over, or is it just their own darkness reflected back to them? There are hints from the off that something is wrong, after all: one girl is convinced by the group to starve herself so severely that she faints at school, which no one seems particularly worried or apologetic about, and another talks to the ‘King’ as if he’s real. And so the blend of typical teen girl pressures – the need to be thin, the need to fit in – runs alongside more aberrant, troubling issues.

The play definitely doesn’t outstay its welcome; if anything, it feels too short. If this play were to get a revival – which it does deserve – it’s crying out for longer run time with more opportunities to see the slow turn of the screw. In terms of the performances, a couple of very powerful and gripping monologues convincingly delivered by a talented cast pepper the piece, and show real depth and emotional weight (in particular, the magnetic and captivating Zoe Bourdin, and Louis Hill as a creepy opportunistic neighbour).

This a show that leaves you wanting more, whether it’s Charlie Hansen Esther and Alyssa Virji’s sweet and hesitant innocence, or Martha Wrench’s superb turn as a wise-beyond-her-years teen driven to the brink of obsession and madness. It’s also a show that’s likely to stay with you beyond the fringe. It might not answer as many questions as you’d like, but if the play shows us anything, it’s that the questions need asking.

Playing at Greenside at George Street, 12–24 August 2024 as part of the Edinburgh Fringe 2024.