What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedTop Girls
Caryl Churchill · Book · 2018
If you loved Top Girls, start with Harlots (Moira Buffini, 2017) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Top Girls across media.
What hooked you in Top Girls is the way it dissects the brutal, often transactional nature of ambition, power, and class across generations.
Films on the same thread
Mean Girls
Mark Waters · Film · 2004
Explores: High School Cliques, Social Hierarchy, Popularity.
Like Top Girls, this film exposes the cutthroat social hierarchies women navigate to achieve status, exploring how female rivalry is weaponized within competitive, male-dominated environments.
The Favourite
Yorgos Lanthimos · Film · 2018
Explores: Political Intrigue, Power Dynamics, Queer Relationships.
This period drama mirrors the power dynamics in Top Girls by showcasing how women manipulate political intrigue and personal relationships to secure their standing in a restrictive society.
The World According to Garp
George Roy Hill · Film · 1982
Shares 2 threads with Top Girls: Feminism, Social Commentary.
This story echoes the feminist discourse found in Top Girls, specifically examining the complex, often fraught legacy of mothers who become cultural icons at the expense of family.
Top Gun
Tony Scott · Film · 1986
Explores: Competition, Redemption, Male Bonding.
If Top Girls hit, Top Gun shares the thread.
Series on the same thread
Derry Girls
Lisa McGee · Series · 2018
Explores: Female friendship, Adolescent awkwardness, The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Much like Top Girls, this series uses a sharp, observational lens to ground personal coming-of-age stories within the volatile political climate and social pressures of their respective eras.
Harlots
Moira Buffini · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Top Girls: Mother-Daughter Relationships.
This series explores the same intersection of class conflict and motherhood present in Top Girls, focusing on the harsh realities women face while trying to survive in London.
Boys from the Blackstuff
Alan Bleasdale · Series · 1982
Shares 2 threads with Top Girls: Thatcherism, Political Drama.
This series provides the perfect companion to Top Girls by documenting the devastating impact of Thatcherism and economic collapse on working-class communities during the same pivotal time period.
Cable Girls
Gema R. Neira · Series · 2017
Explores: Female Empowerment, Women in the Workplace, Early 20th Century.
These characters navigate the same professional and social obstacles as the women in Top Girls, highlighting the friction between personal ambition and the realities of the modern workplace.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Charlie Kirk Show
Charlie Kirk · Podcast · 2026
Explores: grassroots activism, populism, media criticism.
If Top Girls hit, The Charlie Kirk Show shares the thread.
The History Chicks : A Women's History Podcast
The History Chicks | AIRWAVE · Podcast · 2026
If Top Girls sparked your interest in the historical narratives of women, this podcast offers an expansive look at the remarkable figures whose lives have shaped our collective history.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Top Girls set in the eighties?
Yes, Top Girls is set during a period of British politics dominated by the newly elected Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The play explores the differing perspectives of Marlene, Joyce, and Angie regarding the social and political climate of the decade.
What is the premise of Top Girls?
Top Girls follows Marlene, who believes the eighties will be a stupendous time, while her sister Joyce remains skeptical and her daughter Angie feels frightened. The play uses these character dynamics to prompt audiences to question their notions of women in society.
When did Top Girls first premiere?
Top Girls first premiered in 1982. Since its initial debut, the work has become a seminal play of modern theatre, known for examining the complexities of female identity and ambition during the era of Margaret Thatcher.
Who wrote Top Girls?
Top Girls was written by Caryl Churchill. The play was published in 2018 and continues to be recognized for its significant impact on modern theatre by challenging established perceptions of women during the political landscape of the nineteen eighties.