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Instructions For A Teenage Armageddon review: Bridgerton star shines in this tale of a snarky teen hiding a dark secret, writes VERONICA LEE


VERONICA LEE: The title of this one-woman play by Rosie Day rather mis-sells the content. While it sounds like a spirited call to arms... It is, however, frequently funny.

When we first meet teenager Eileen ( Charithra Chandran, who played Edwina Sharma in Bridgerton), she is full of peppy bravado and flippancy — even when talking about how her older sister, Olive, died a few years previously after suffering from anorexia. There are flashback video inserts with Shelley Conn and Philip Glenister as Eileen's argumentative mum and dad, and voiceovers from the exasperated Sensible Scout Leader Susan (Maxine Peake having fun). Eileen's childlike keenness to gain multiple badges with the Scout troop contrasts tellingly with her touching need to fit in with the cool girls when she meets the older Ella (Isabella Pappas, again seen on video inserts) and is dangerously captivated by her.

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