I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF NOISE OUTSIDE BUT YOU HAVE TO CLOSE YOUR EYES

Unflinching semi-autobiographical works about 20-somethings win awards. That’s if Lena Dunham and HBO’s Girls is any indication.

Perhaps I Know There’s a Lot of Noise Outside But You Have to Close Your Eyes, an exploration of femininity, prejudice and rage devised and performed by Anna McCarthy, Allison Wiltshire and Zoey Dawson, will join that successful league of female anti-heroines.

We encounter childhood friends Katie (Anna McCarthy) and Imogen (Zoey Dawson) as they prepare to meet each other at a long-awaited reunion.

It’s a haunting insight into the underbelly of female friendships as hyper-sexy Katie and super-smart Imogen constantly battle their true desires and beliefs in an attempt to be liked, taken seriously, respected and loved.

“The performance style starts quite naturalistic,” says Anna McCarthy.

“As the facades crack revealing a deeper, inner world it slowly twists into a surreal and sinister look at the cost of denying our true feelings and selves.”

Mar 6-23, NIDA Parade Theatre, Kensington, $30-35, 1300 795 012, ticketek.com.au