Coralie Cairns and Karen Johnson-Diamond deliver captivating performances in this wife-meets-mistress buddy comedy that delivers critiques of the very system that defines them as such. It is a peri-menopausal manifesto, a tender diatribe against the requirements of feminine adornment. It is a glimpse into the private worlds of knowing that constitute the shared experiences of women, without losing any of the humour upon entrance. The characters explore their weaknesses and the depths to which they will sink to find and hold on to love, including idealizing men, self-deception, and compromising their integrity. At times overly-verbose, Lewis was trying to sort out a kind of existential drama in the midst of this comedy. He works with the tensions among fate, choice, regret, and guilt while giving voice to an inner attraction to the very risks of searching for love. We find compassion for the characters, who, in the aftermath of their failed dreams struggle to hold on to their sense of self, and in so doing show us that lives that don’t turn out according to plan have much to be gained from a sense of humour - and a little breaking of the law. This reviewer would have rather seen the women find resolution within themselves than to get the romantic happy-ending for which they were searching so hard. In the end, Hudson has again delivered an entertaining and challenging night at the theatre.

Four out of five stars.

Women Who Steal runs from November 3rd to 21st at Shadow Theatre.