How ‘Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour’ stormed the West End

‘When the show first opened at the Edinburgh Fringe we were just so involved in it that we never gave a thought to what people would think. Then we got to the stage and it just erupted! Scottish audiences were amazing. America was a bit different: we had to cut out a few of the swearwords and a small percentage of the audience even walked out. But we’re not asking people to like us. This is our story, take it or leave it.’

‘It’s so much fun to play a teenager, because you get to relive that time of abandonment where you lived for that day, and the most important people were the friends around you. The show’s based on Alan Warner’s novel “The Sopranos”, which is amazing. He really sees these girls. There’s not much punctuation so it’s just like word vomit, they’re just talking and talking and talking like real teenagers do.’

‘I play Fionnula, the leader of the gang. She’s fiesty, bossy, and she just powers through life letting nothing stand in her way. At high school I knew I wanted to be an actor so I was bad, really bad. When I read the book, I was just like – this is me. I had to get the part, because I knew I wouldn’t need to act! My mum loves it, but I wouldn’t want to be saying “cunt” in front of my granny – she’s a good churchgoing woman. ’

‘I’m 18, so I’m the youngest by some way. At first I was really nervous but they are all looking after me and making sure I know what I’m doing. It’s also quite helpful because my character Orla is kind of the young, naive one: she’s missed out on growing up because she had cancer. For me, school feels like it was just the other day. I don’t miss it – if your phone went off you’d get “detention!” screamed in your ear.’

‘These girls are from Oban, it’s a really quiet fishing town. I went to Catholic school so I know what it’s like to want to break out from all those rules, and that’s what the songs let us do. ELO is such an epic choice for the songs in the show. When you think about those ’70s synths and those huge crunching chords you don’t automatically think all-girls choir. But especially with the live band, it’s like “Pow!” It’s so exciting’

‘My favourite part of the show is where I say “Let’s go fucking mental.” That’s the girls’ battle cry. It’s the moment where you go, “Oh my God, these girls are absolutely nuts.” Audiences get so swept up in it, too. I’m 28, but I’ve had people ask me things like, “Will you be going back to school after the summer?” They find it hard to believe it’s not real. But actually, I was a goody-two-shoes at school, so this show has given me all these regrets...’