Girls & Boys

Girls & Boys by Dennis Kelly is a riveting and emotionally devastating one-woman play that begins with humor and charm before peeling back layers to reveal a haunting story of love, family, and unimaginable violence.

Told entirely through a monologue by an unnamed woman, the play follows her journey from the moment she meets her future husband in a queue at an airport. With wit, intelligence, and honesty, she recounts their whirlwind romance, the excitement of falling in love, and the joy of building a life together—complete with a home and two children.

At first, her story feels familiar, even funny, as she describes her ambition, her career in television, and her often comical clashes with social expectations around motherhood and success. But as the narrative unfolds, cracks begin to appear. The woman’s tone shifts. What began as a light-hearted reflection turns into a deeply unsettling exploration of domestic violence and gender-based trauma.
Without warning, the story veers into shocking territory, exposing the horrific consequences of control, entitlement, and rage—issues often rooted in societal attitudes toward gender.

Cast:
Rifkah Dasgupta – “Woman”
Rifkah Dasgupta is a dynamic young theatre artist and actor from Mumbai. She won Miss Teen India 2022 and Miss Teen India Best Actor 2022. An alumnus of the prestigious Roshan Taneja School of Acting, Rifkah holds a Trinity College London Speech and Drama qualification. Alongside her theatre career, she is a successful model featured in campaigns across India. Rifkah brings fresh energy, emotional depth, and a compelling presence to this demanding one-woman role.
Production Team:
Lighting Designer: Pritam Pilania
Sound Designer: Sameer Ahmed
Production Manager: Rituraj
Producer / Company: Monolith Theatre
Director: Pritam Pilania
Pritam Pilania is an actor and director from Haryana, currently based in Mumbai. He holds a diploma in Acting from Intercultural Theatre Institute, Singapore, and a diploma in Mime from the National Mime Institute, Kolkata. Since beginning his theatre journey in 2014, Pritam has worked with various theatre companies across styles like Classical, Psycho-Physical, Forum, Parsi, and Realistic Theatre. Passionate about using theatre as a tool for social and environmental change, he is the founder and director of Monolith Theatre. His recent works include Department of Joke, SYZYGY, Endgame, The Caretaker, and The Moment of Truth (his own play)

Dennis Kelly’s writing is spare yet emotionally charged, allowing the character’s voice to carry the full weight of the narrative. The play is not just a personal confession, but a searing commentary on the intersection of masculinity, violence, and family. It challenges audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about the ways in which women and children can be caught in the crosshairs of fragile male ego and patriarchal norms.
Originally premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2018 with Carey Mulligan in the lead role, Girls & Boys is both intimate and epic—a masterclass in storytelling that captures one woman's descent from joy to tragedy with brutal honesty and remarkable resilience. It is a haunting, unforgettable experience that lingers long after the final word.