A PLAY that truly represents the complexities and importance of teenage friendships at the Lighthouse Poole.

Fort, by Dorsetborn, follows 15-year-old best friends Viv and Daisy as they navigate family troubles and a strange encounter with a ghost.

The scene is set in a historic Iron Age Dorset hillfort, with the two teens fully representing their country roots.

It was quite a small and intimate play, where the audience are made to feel part of the production.

With a simple set design, of a small grass mount and a stretch of soil, the two young actresses’ talents are brought to the spotlight.

However, Megan Marszal, as Viv, and Martha Harlan, as Daisy, had no trouble portraying the authentic troubles and trials of teenage-hood, including battling hormones and preparing for the future.

Viv, a witty and humorous character, battles with more relatable struggles as she tries to deal with a family member who suffered an accident.

Whereas, Daisy attempts to navigate spiritual concerns of life and the unknown as she sits atop the hillfort and waits for her friend, the ghost, to return.

I think that any teenager watching Fort will certainly find something that relates to themselves, especially those who have had the fortune (or unfortune) of growing up in the countryside.

Playwriter, Tabitha Hayward, delves into some deep topics but makes sure to have fun with it too, by including typical small-town gossip and country fayres.

Tabitha has previously revealed her inspiration behind the play when she was studying a playwriting course and found herself to be the only ‘non-Londoner’ around.

“I wanted to write something which was really rooted in place and started to realise the things that were normal to me, that I had grown up with, like the Cheese Festival in Sturminster Newton, like hill forts, these are things that other people are not familiar with so there was something potentially interesting there. 

“People always say to writers you should write what you know and I’d always gone completely in the other direction from that – what’s interesting about having had a nice childhood in the countryside? But actually, there is something really mysterious and curious about that.” 

Fort has been showcasing across Dorset with its next performance set for the Mast Mayflower Studios in Southampton on November 30 before its London debut in January.