06:00, 21 April 2025
Words by Cheyanne Bryan, Editorial and Campaign Marketing Executive, London
“Our focus is on advocacy through art. We want our productions to resonate with people, particularly women, and to spark conversations about important issues.”
In the world of musical theatre, there’s a growing wave of fresh voices pushing for change. Bella Wright and Carleigh McRitchie, the dynamic duo behind Nowhere Girls Theatre, are two such voices. Their company, founded just last year, is already making waves with their debut production, The Gardening Club – a bold pop-rock infused, and thought-provoking musical that explores female solidarity, birth control, and empowerment in the 1960s.
From the very start, Nowhere Girls Theatre has been committed to creating art with a purpose.
To use theatre as a tool for advocacy, raising awareness around issues that impact women today. As they prepare to bring The Gardening Club to London this September, Smiley News sat down with Bella and Carleigh to dive deeper into their creative journey, the feminist themes of their work, and their plans for the future.
Nowhere Girls Theatre may be a new name on the scene, but Bella and Carleigh have already established a strong first step in the industry.
“We founded the company last year with the aim of creating original musicals that aren’t just about entertainment – they’re about making a real social impact,” Bella explains.
Carleigh adds, “The company was also established to protect us legally and financially as we go forward with our projects. We didn’t want to just be a theatre group – we wanted to make sure our work had a foundation, so we could keep pushing boundaries without worrying about the business side of things.”
The journey of The Gardening Club has been nothing short of a whirlwind. Premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the musical sold out all six of its performances and garnered rave reviews, including a feature in Playbill.“
Edinburgh was a dream,” Bella recalls. “It was our first major production, and to see people responding so positively was incredibly validating. We really felt like we were on to something special.”
Carleigh reflects, “The energy in the room during our Edinburgh shows was electric. We knew that our message was resonating, and that made all the hard work worth it.”
Now, with plans to bring The Gardening Club to London during Sexual Health Awareness Week in September, Bella and Carleigh are ready for the next chapter in their journey.
“London feels like the perfect place for our next step,” says Bella. “We want to continue to use our platform to raise awareness, not just through the performance, but by partnering with local sex organisations to provide resources and information about sexual health.”
With their unique vision, Bella and Carleigh are challenging the traditional mould of musical theatre.
“One of the things we’re really passionate about is representation,” Carleigh says.
Bella agrees: “It’s so important for girls and women to see themselves in the stories they consume. We need to show a diverse range of female experiences in theatre – not just the glossy, stereotypical versions of what women ‘should’ be. The women we write about are complex, messy, and real. And they should be celebrated for it.”
Their first musical, The Gardening Club, is a perfect example of this commitment to diverse representation. Set in the 1960s, the musical follows a group of women who form an underground birth control distribution network, using a fictitious gardening club as a cover during a time when access to contraception was heavily restricted and women’s health remained a taboo subject.
This strong feminist narrative is a direct response to the need for more stories that highlight women’s agency, particularly in a historical context that shaped the modern feminist movement.
The inspiration behind The Gardening Club stemmed from a conversation about women’s roles during the Vietnam War, which led to a deeper exploration of sisterhood and the societal pressures women face.
As both Carleigh and Bella are from opposite coasts in the US, but connected when they attended Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).
“At the heart of The Gardening Club is the idea of women coming together, supporting each other, and challenging the status quo,” says Carleigh. “We wanted to tell a story about friendship, solidarity, and the kind of quiet revolution that happens when women take control of their own lives.”
Bella continues, “It’s set in the 1960s, but the themes are incredibly relevant today. Women’s health, autonomy, and sexuality are still hot topic issues. We wanted to shine a light on these conversations through the lens of female friendship, because at the end of the day, it’s those bonds that help women break barriers.”
The show’s central storyline, which follows a group of women discreetly distributing birth control, has resonated deeply with audiences.
“It’s not just about the historical significance of birth control,” says Carleigh. “It’s about how women have always found ways to support one another, to solve problems together, and to make their voices heard.”
Many popular women-fronted musicals have served as inspiration to Bella and Carleigh before they started working on this project.
“We’ve admired shows like Wicked, Heathers, and Spring Awakening,” Bella explains. “These musicals have an energy and honesty that we really wanted to bring to The Gardening Club. The music isn’t just there to entertain; it serves as an emotional conduit for the characters' journeys.”
Drawing from these varied influences, The choice of pop-rock as the musical style for The Gardening Club is far from incidental.
The Gardening Club blends bold pop-rock anthems to create a soundtrack that is both contemporary and timeless, reflecting the rebellious spirit and emotional depth of its characters. While set in the 1960s during a pivotal time for women’s rights, the choice of pop-rock underscores that the issues faced by the characters remain relevant today.
As Nowhere Girls Theatre prepares for their upcoming London show, Bella and Carleigh have big plans for the future.
“We’re focused on getting The Gardening Club out there in as many places as possible, but we’re also already brainstorming our next projects. There’s so much more we want to explore.” says Carleigh.
To keep up with the latest updates about The Gardening Club follow them on Instagram and TikTok.
Have a sneak peak to the soundtrack of The Gardening Club now here.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three
charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Fawcett Society. One of the UK’s leading feminist organisations, this charity campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights, focusing on issues like pay equality, reproductive rights, and the representation of women in their careers. Find out more.
Planned Parenthood. This is a US organisation for sexual and reproductive health care, where they provide services, education, and advocacy around birth control, sexual health, and women's reproductive rights. Learn more here.
The Abortion Support Network. This charity helps people access safe abortions, particularly for those who face financial or logistical barriers. Support them here.
This article aligns with the Partnerships for the Goals.
The images included in this article were taken by Stefan Lakselvhaug, Brian Roberts, and Arron Macnamara
