BACKSTAGE AT FRINGE with Eugenie Muggleton | HORSE GIRLS
- TW
- Sep 20
- 3 min read
In today's 'Backstage at Fringe', we spoke to Eugenie Muggleton, Director of Horse Girls, which opens on September 30 at Explosives Factory as a part of our Fringe 2025 season.
♥ ♥ ♥ BoYz may coMe and Boyz mAy Go, bUt hOrSes aRe 4eVer…♥ ♥ ♥ Horse Girls by Jenny Rachel Weiner is presented by Burned Dinner Theatre, the new brainchild of National Theatre Drama School alumni Tegan Crowley (Plague) and Tamzen Hayes (Never Said Motel).It’s The Saddle Club meets Heathers in this camp, bubblegum-pink descent into horror. Horse Girls delves into the dark side of girlhood obsession. On today’s agenda: loyalties are tested, ponytails are measured, and high-pitched chaos ensues after news breaks that the stables may be sold — and their precious horses killed… or worse, given to girls who won’t even ride them!Don’t let the hearts in their notebooks fool you — this play gets dark, blood gets spilled, and not everyone makes it out alive.
Q: Take us back to the start. When did this show first drop into your head? How did it get to where it is now?
A: Horse Girls dropped delightfully into my head by delivery from Tegan Crowley when Burned Dinner Theatre were looking for a director. I loved it immediately – and even though I was slightly nervous to be brand new to theatre, I couldn’t let it go. Its world was so identifiable and unique – especially as an all girls’ school ex-pat and lover of horror, plus I’ll never turn down the chance to work with Tegan if I can help it.
I love how dynamic this piece is, and keeps offering with each rehearsal – it’s so light and fast and fun and funny, but has inspired some pretty dark and deep philosophising at the same time. Who knew the inner workings of a 11-13 year old girls pony club could be such a versatile metaphor for the turmoil of daily life – after all, Hell is other horse girls. And at the same time, I love how affectionately each character has been written – making sure we should never look down on them (and nor should anyone ever).
That’s where I am now – in the joy of balancing the awful and endearing of these girls lives on one afternoon that seems to sum up how high the stakes are at that age, especially when you’re standing on the cliff edge of your childhood, and womanhood feels like a free fall you might not escape unscathed.
Q: What will audiences find in your show that they won't find anywhere else in fringe?
A: I’d be very surprised if there were another play about a girls’ after school pony club that descends into desperate mayhem, with random bursts of recorder playing, hair braiding, horse poetry and bloodshed.
Q: What will surprise audiences about this work?
A: Probably the lengths a thirteen-year-old pony club president will go to when she starts to lose control of her wavering disciples. But also how relevant the inner workings of the Lady Jean Ladies Club feel to adult, relatively horse-free life.
How well it fits in an Australian setting having been written by an American playwright. Horse girls are clearly universal.
Q: You're on a blind date. Nervously, you walk into the bar. Across the smoke and pool tables you see them - there they are. Your exact target audience member, personified. Can you describe them?
A: It would be fun to see Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill appear through the smoke – but that’s only a joke. I’d say the perfect audience member is anyone who understands, or tries to understand, knows or once was a school girl. And if not, hopefully they might get some insight by coming along. If you’re hungry for some laughs, a bit of chaos and lots of drama – this show is for you.
This question is almost describing how I felt meeting each of the cast and crew. (I wanna add a bit more here about our excellent team, and me bonding with Millie over horror movies, haha)
Q: What has been the most memorable moment in your process to this point?
A: We held our first table read over zoom because a few of us were out of state. I have a wonderful memory of having to mute myself so my cackles of laughter wouldn’t interrupt the flow.
Horse Girls plays at Explosives Factory from September 30 - October 4. Stay tuned to the Theatre Works Backstage Blog, where we have loads more Backstage at Fringe content on the way!
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