Going Out Out

Written by Barney Norris

Directed by Jess Edwards

HOME Theatre 2

From the very first moments we meet widower Ian, Going Out Out sets a quietly intriguing tone that gradually blooms into a vivid, heartfelt, and surprisingly joyful exploration of grief, identity and community. The production opens with a man who no longer leaves his house save to water the garden and has his shoppingdelivered by a local charity. The catalyst is simple yet striking when Raz, a young man delivering his groceries discovers Ian wearing his late wife’s dress while gardening. The quiet beauty in the moment is an elderly man being seen and accepted when he explains his wearing of his wife’s dress “helps him feel closer.”

This seemingly modest moment propels a story about transformation. Under the direction of Jess Edwards and written by Barney Norris, the play dramatizes Ian’s introduction to the world of the drag-scene in Manchester and a one night only performance at the working men’s club run by his estranged daughter Lauren. The move from isolation to community is convincingly rendered: the play doesn’t shy away from melancholy, but it crafts an emotional arc that celebrates connection rather than sorrow.

One of the show’s strengths is its soundtrack. Soulful standards and pop-anthem flourishes underpin Ian’s growing metamorphosis. The music and staging inject rhythm and energy into what could otherwise be a quiet story of domestic decline. This musical element underlines how life and selfhood are not merely reclaimed by “going out” but the healing and redemptive nature of singing and performing. Quinn and Kuppan both deliver a number of songs with gusto and panache that drive the narrative to its natural conclusion.

Ian’s transformation feels earned and James Quinn delivers a subtle, humourous and heartfelt performance of a man who feels adrift and awkward without his wife. Darren Kuppan as Raz is a warm and funny guide into the world of drag and coming back to the world. Verity Henry as daughter Lauren sparks genuine tension and hope as she navigates a new relationship with her father. The set design by Miriam Nabarro conjures up the beige home life of a resigned widower and the down beat air of a shabby working men’s club with a delightful hint of glamour with a glittery stage and illuminated dressing room.

There are occasional moments where the narrative feels slightly schematic in the “climb out of grief through performance and friendship” arc. Some transitions between intimate character beats and more theatrical, performance-heavy scenes are brisk and don’t always land smoothly. The shift can feel a little like a lightening quick change in a backstage drag dressing room…effective for energy but small emotional beats sometimes flick past. However the charm and warmth in the writing and the acting by a strong cast is a more than adequate compensation.

What resonates strongly is the message that grief need not annihilate identity, and that stepping into something unexpected (a dress, a club, a performance) can be a genuine mode of survival and renewal. Going Out Out is a warm, compassionate, and musically vibrant piece of theatre. It might not upend every dramatic convention but it delivers characters to geniunely care about, a story to believe in, and the knowledge that sometimes the path through loss may involve loud songs, sequins and stepping outside your comfort zone. For anyone curious about how a quiet life might bloom into something bold, this production is well worth going out for.

Darren Kuppan as Raz in Going Out Out
Image credit: Chris Payne

HOME MCR 16th October – 1st November 2025

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

Cabaret, Shakespeare, Small Theatres

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Amy Gavin and Hannah Ellis Ryan

The Shrew Gets a Manc Makeover: Unseemly Women Take On Shakespeare

The bawdy babes are back and this time, they’re not pulling any punches. Unseemly Women, HER Productions, and Girl Gang Manchester have teamed up for a burlesque-soaked, neon-splashed, full-throttle takedown of Shakespeare’s most problematic “rom-com” at HOME and it’s an absolute riot.

Under the whip-smart direction of Amy Gavin and Hannah Ellis Ryan, The Taming of the “Shrew” ditches dusty tradition for something far more visceral. Set between a glitter-drenched nightclub and the chaotic world of Padua, this all-female and non-binary ensemble slices through the Bard’s gender politics with stilettos sharpened.

The very talented cast slinks and shimmy across the stage and into the audience to ramp up the immersive aspects of this sassy production. Think Baz Luhrmann meets Blackadder on a hen do in the Northern Quarter, with a soundtrack that pivots from catchy pop tracks and bluesy vocals to the sinister horror of a slowed down Andy Williams’ Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.

Shady Murphy is magnificent as Katerina, all fire and fury before her spark is methodically and heartbreakingly extinguished. Opposite her, a brilliant Emily Spowage delivers a Petruchio that’s equal parts swagger and sadism. It’s a masterclass in gaslighting so when Petruchio insists the sun is the moon, your stomach will twist as Katerina tries to navigate around safe path through her marital nightmare.

Visually, it’s a feast: Zoe Barnes’ Vivienne Westwood-inspired wedding dress looks iconic. The Belles look suitably beguiling and risqué for this production. The pole dancing and musical elements ramp up the visual drama and showcase the multi-talented performers in this riotous piece.

This is a fun and face-paced punch to the gut that’s a glitter cannon full of feminist fury. By refusing to sanitize the original text, this production reframes it with power, purpose, and a healthy dose of revenge. Here this vibrant and talented ensemble reclaim the narrative. The odious Sly Christopher is left to watch the women like a second rate Bernard Manning gagged and trussed up like a turkey.

Catch it before it disappears in a cloud of glitter and gaslight.

HOME MCR 27TH-31ST MAY 2025

The Moth

Small Theatres

Written by Paul Herzberg

Directed by Jake Murray

Aldridge Studio, The Lowry Theatre

On paper The Moth is ticking all the right boxes as an exciting piece of drama that examines some highly pertinent issues around racism, fascism and the legacy of Apartheid. South African writer Paul Herzberg has crafted a full length play from his award winning 12 minute piece for The Covid-19 Monologues The Moth. Elysium Theatre Company and Director Jake Murray have a strong track record in delivering high quality productions such as Jesus Hopped The A Train , and this tour is their biggest yet taking in 25 venues. This is an ambitious production with a lot to say about how our history haunts and informs our present and whether forgiveness is always possible or even appropriate.

You think you know me. You don’t. So its time to talk.”

In 1997 two men meet by chance on a train from Scotland to King’s Cross. Sat opposite each other on this long journey these very different men are connected through their origin stories. John Jordana played by Faz Singhateh is a successful black British journalist who was born in a prison in South Africa and came to Britain via East Berlin where he fled with his father, an established political activist. He has great pride in his father but no relationship with his mother who stayed in South Africa. Marius Muller (Micky Cochrane) is a white South African who was conscripted into the Army and fought in the horrific Angolan Border War. Brutalised by a violent pro Nazi father and traumatised by his war experiences, he was also abandoned by his mother. These men share an uneasy conversation which leads to a shocking revelation that John writes about and the resulting fallout over the subsequent years leads to further meetings. This finally sees them face each other in a television studio as they come together to share their stories with us as the studio audience.

This is an interesting premise and is actually based on some true experiences. Writer Paul Herzberg was also a conscripted soldier in the War and has written an number of plays about the South African military experience. Here the focus is on what happens when the son of a freedom fighter comes face to face with a one time soldier responsible for war atrocities. The simple staging is effective and allows for a sense of a television studio while also serving as seats on a train or John’s home office. The use of a large monitor serves to create the illusion of scenery flying by on the train journeys, while also allowing Adjoa Andoh to pop up on Skype as John’s mother or images of family photos for both men that give a further sense of their background. stories.

Both actors give powerful performances in this lengthy and intense production. Micky Cochrane is particularly impressive maintaining a strong South African accent throughout. They both play complex and damaged men who seem frustratingly unable to connect yet appear to have an invisible thread pulling them together over decades.

There is a real need right now for theatre that explores difficult political and ethical issues in new ways that help us make sense of a troubled world. The Moth does impart a real sense of the horror and brutality of war but it veers toward repeating its narrative in order to emphasis the story and instead this dense repetition loses the Director and his actors an opportunity to real breathe life into this production. Including the interval the play runs at about two hours that is heavy on dialogue but seems to fail to truly capture a sense of either protagonist. Scenes like the one in John’s upstairs office just don’t feel authentic. His loving wife would be highly unlikely to let a man she had never met but knew to have been the perpetrator of violent war crimes upstairs in her home to surprise her husband while their children were in the house. This feels like a missed opportunity to use that time to flesh out these complex men or to make a decision to run at 70 mins and tell an important war story succinctly and powerfully.

Aldridge Studio 10th-12th April 2025

Tour dates

Blithe Spirit

Small Theatres

Written by Noel Coward

Directed by Hannah Ellis Ryan

Hope Mill Theatre

The latest offering from HER Productions is the sparkling screwball comedy Blithe Spirit. This Noel Coward classic sees urbane couple The Condomines entertaining some friends to an evening with the local clairvoyant Madame Arcarti. Charles Condomine callously hopes to use the evening purely as research for his latest novel. Initially the butt of arch comments and wicked jibes, the high spirited clairvoyant accidentally conjures up a real live spirit in the ectoplasmic form of Charles’ dead first wife Elvira. The resulting high jinks see the two wives desperately competing for their husband which culminates with Elvira attempting to win him over by murdering him to reunite as ghosts. Amusingly it is wife No2, Ruth that dies instead leaving both ghostly women to ultimately unite and vent their frustration on their erstwhile husband who suddenly seems to relish in his new found liberty!

The theatrical polymath that is Hannah Ellis Ryan is at the helm as Director. It may be her first outing in this role but it is an assured debut that she clearly relishes. It’s an ambitious production that makes for a highly entertaining evening despite an overly lengthy first Act.

The staging by Jenny Holt Wright does an excellent job of conveying a feel of comfortable opulence with a gleaming cocktails table and over stuffed furnishings. Although originally staged in 1941 with a definite nod to the relaxed decadence of the pre war era, this new production has gone with a Bridgerton vibe for the costumes by Hannah Bracegirdle. They certainly look lush and colourful and there are some fabulous coiffures but I’m uncertain how well the idea works within the rest of the play. Regency style costumes seem somewhat at odds with Madame Arcarti speeding around on a bicycle in trousers and Ruth being killed off in a car accident! In addition Kayleigh Hawkins as Elvira has hair and a gown that looks much more at home with a 1930s feel.

There are some sparkling performances from the cast. Peter Stone as Charles oozes rakish charm when everything is going his way. As Elvira arrives and his current marriage starts to unravel, he is by turns peevish and increasingly flustered. The result is highly amusing as we watch the supercilious man of the house be driven demented by a petulant dead wife and a bewildered and infuriated living one.

The cast of Blithe Spirit at Hope Mill Theatre Image credit: Lowri Burkinshaw

Ntombizodwa Ndlovu is wonderfully imperious as Ruth. This is a woman used to having her own way and the arrival of Elvira is certainly not tolerable. As the chaos mounts she becomes increasingly angered and threatened resulting in her losing her composure and venting her rage. It’s in the second half that she really comes into her own and any stiffness in the first Act evaporates. Kayleigh Hawkins as Elvira is perfectly cast. Her sinewy grace and brittle charm work wonderfully well as the petulant and mischievous Elvira wreaks havoc with all the nonchalant abandon of a truly Blithe Spirit.

Karen Henthorn is a great comedic turn as Madame Arcarti. Her birdlike swooping and boundless energy and enthusiasm are joyful to watch as she careers around the stage. She exudes a proper Northern charm and a total disregard for staid upper class values. At times a little shouty in her delivery; her performance is a masterclass in letting your inner child out to play on the stage.

This new production at Hope Mill Theatre once again proves what passionate and committed casts and creatives can achieve in small theatres with small budgets. Companies such as HER Productions are blazing a trail ensuring that theatre productions in Manchester remain varied and vibrant.

HOPE MILL THEATRE til 22nd February 2025

THE Dukes, Lancaster 25th Fed – 1st March 2025

ONE PUNCH

Small Theatres

Written by Jane Thornton and Martha Godper

Directed by Jane Thornton

HOME MCR

We all love a good night out with friends especially if celebrating a birthday. Fun times and hijinks before heading home to blow out the candles on our favourite cake with our nearest and dearest. This production narrates just such a night out in great detail but in this story, it is a human life that is extinguished instead of those birthday candles. The John Godper Company have worked closely with community charity One Punch Hull who raise awareness of just how lethal one single punch can be. This dynamic and deliberately punchy drama has a strong focus on education and is clearly intended as a piece that can successfully tour schools to promote the charity’s message STOP. THINK. WALK AWAY.

The three strong cast narrate the story of Reece as the Paramedics who were called to a horrific incident. This young man is celebrating his birthday in a very ordinary, everyday manner. There are multiple caterpillar cakes from a loving partner and a doting Mum, a day at work followed by drinks with his best mates and a planned taxi home to kiss his young daughter goodnight. Sadly in this drama this happy day reaches a shocking and desperately unhappy conclusion. A single drunken punch from his best mate Connor fells the birthday boy and the subsequent bang to his head has devastating consequences. Two loving parents and his partner and a small child lose a loved one and a young man loses his best mate and his liberty.

The cast of ONE PUNCH at HOME
Image credit: Ian Hodgson

The simple staging is strikingly effective hinting at a boxing ring edged with police hazard tape and a few beer crates. The multi coloured back screen lighting panels suggest a nightclub and ultimately the stained glass illuminating a church funeral. George Reid, Ellis Basford and Camille Hainsworth-Staples play multiple roles as they both narrate the events but also act out the events taking on the roles of Reece and Connor as well as the parents and Reece’s partner. This is a demanding feat especially in such an emotive story based on real events where the writers and the cast have worked closely with the parents of Scott Akester on whom this production is based. George Reid delivers a particularly impressive performance moving between his roles especially when performing as the father where he really shines.

Writers Jane Thornton and Martha Godper have clearly endeavoured to write a piece of theatre that can deliver on a range of levels. Using a lot of rhyming ensures the piece flows well and is accessible to a range of ages and backgrounds. They have created a piece of theatre sensitive to the true story behind the narrative while maintaining a realism that does not sugarcoat the message. People get drunk for all sorts of reasons whether in celebration or commiseration and anything in between. People can be happy drunks or funny drunks or sad or angry drunks. We cannot definitively predict outcomes but we can try to safeguard against some risks. This play highlights the potentially deadly impact of toxic masculinity when fueled by alcohol and adrenaline. The heartfelt request from the family of Scott Akester is simple…Stop. Think. Walk Away.

HOME 12th – 15th February 2025

Millennial Pink – Work in Progress at PUSH FESTIVAL 2025

Small Theatres

Devised and Performed by Girl Gang Manchester

HOME

Girl Gang Manchester have been around since 2016 making all sorts of work and operating as a collaboration of artists, activists and academics working together to celebrate popular culture and feminist activism. Millennial Pink sees them turn up the volume on the turntable and explore bedroom pop culture and that baptism of fire that is transitioning from girlhood to teenager to young women.

The stage of Theatre 2 at HOME is transformed into a messy teenage bedroom ready for a sleepover and that’s exactly the vibe of this production as the performers snuggle on beds and share stories, break into song and try out synchronised dance moves. The overwhelmingly feelgood factor in this show is the generous and collaborative approach of all the performers on stage and dotted through the audience. If these millennial have learned anything from their experience growing up whether positive or negative it is that we are all better and stronger coming together and supporting each other.

As to be expected from Girl Gang Manchester, this is a production high on audience participation whether it’s reading out cue cards, singing along to karaoke or learning some dance routines. By the end of the show there are a lot of people onstage, myself included as the stage becomes a dance floor for everyone who remembers what it was to be a teenage girl. This is a show high on energy and exuberance that manages to thread the delicate line between celebrating the positives and calling out the slut shamers and the casual misogyny and double standards in our Society without ever sounding preachy. I loved the energy and the passion throughout this production and although the sound needs some tweaks to ensure every performer can be clearly heard, this is a show I would definitely want to see again.

PUSH FESTIVAL 2025 HOME 31st January-1st February 2025

GIRL GANG MCR

FAITH HEALER

Small Theatres

Written by Brian Friel

Directed by David Thacker

The King’s Arms

It’s not very often I have the time or indeed the inclination to go see the same play twice in one week. Faith Healer at The King’s Arms on opening night was so perfectly rendered that I had to catch it again before it finished its short run. Brian Friel often writes of the rural Northern Ireland that I grew up in and he absolutely captures the mercurial aspects of a community where people have co-existed while always seeing the same world through such different prisms. In Faith Healer he takes 3 characters and gives them lengthy monologues which highlight their very different perspectives on a series of key moments they all experienced together. Within the story telling of each character there are constant threads that connect and confirm each other’s story but numerous elements that differ or conflict challenging the audience to draw their own conclusions. Director David Thacker uses every inch of the space to create an immersive vibe where the performers are placed amongst the audience so the storytelling feels up close and intimate. The result is mesmerising as the truth and the fantasy meet, merge and fade into the ether.

Small, new theatre companies such as Rising Moon Theatre rely on Fringe theatre spaces and here the venue is perfect for this play about these itinerant travellers who move around the country selling hope or as Frank says perhaps bringing the gift of letting go of the last vestige of hope. Seated on fold up chair and absorbing the slightly shabby faded grandeur of the space evokes the kind of venues that may have hosted Frank as the fantastic Frank Hardy…Faith Healer. Grace is his wife or mistress who may be from Yorkshire or Northern Ireland. They are accompanied by Frank’s manager Teddy who is a Londoner with a history of nurturing vaudeville acts.

Vicky Binns as Grace in Faith Healer at The King’s Arms. Photo credit: Shay Rowan.

The cast all give thoroughly committed performances. Vicky Binns wrings every ounce of emotion from the tortured and traumatised Grace. This is a deeply emotionally fragile woman who is untethered by grief and yearning. Watching Grace emotionally unravel is not an easy watch but Binns imbues her character with such a plaintive poignancy and brittle dignity that her monologue is utterly absorbing. Colin Connor is Frank a wounded bear of a man who spews bluster and passion and frustration peppered with moments where his face lights up as he recalls a night in Wales where the stars aligned and he cured everyone in the room. Connor is a masterful storyteller who clearly relishes this role of the Healer both feared and reviled whether perceived as the real deal or a master of chicanery.

Rupert Hill as Teddy in Faith Healer at The King’s Arms Photo credit: Shay Rowan.

Rupert Hill is on a real creative roll recently taking the lead in his self -penned play HUSK at Hope Mill Theatre, directing an excellent production of COCK at 53Two and starring in In The Time Of Dragons at The Edge Theatre. Here he sits silently throughout the first half intently watching and listening as husband and wife relive pivotal moments from their past. A stillborn baby birthed in the back of a van in the back of beyond and buried in a field. Fights and recriminations as they travel Scotland and Wales seemingly exiled from their homeland until the great return to Ireland. Then a dark horrific night in Friel’s fictional Ballybeg where a crooked finger is cured and this momentary success sets of a terrible series of events. Hill brings a light touch to the second half weaving humour and pathos with charm and aplomb. He lights up the stage as he tells tales of past successes with such acts as a bagpipe playing whippet which seems to come alive as he describes it. Hill’s character Freddy may be down on his luck and also bereft of his colleagues but ultimately he is imbued with more hope and faith than the fantastic Frank Hardy could ever muster.

This is the real deal when great writing, a good Director with vision and a strong cast open to taking risks come together and create theatrical alchemy. This production hit all the right notes with its immersive feel ramping up the intimacy and inviting the audience to have faith in what happens on stage and trust the process. Having been on the receiving end of rural Irish faith healers on numerous times growing up its a strange sensation when it works. It feels like a warm sense of satisfaction that envigorates the mind and body and restores the spirit with a sense of bliss. If Frank nailed it in a hall in Wales and cured everyone there then I think Thacker and his team may have achieved a similar success rate in a pub in Manchester.

The King’s Arms 15th – 19th February 2025

That Love Thing

Poetry, Small Theatres

Created and Performed by Peter Keeley

Directed by Mike Shepherd

HOME

Mancunion writer and actor Peter Keeley has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user. This Love Thing showcases his poetry and his love of music, old movies, biscuits and romance. In a series of conversational and dramatic vignettes Keeley deftly and wryly shows himself as way more than the ignorant and often cruel stereotypical perceptions of disability. This is a guy whose intelligence, wit and sex drive are every bit as powerful as his favourite wheelchair the mighty Meteor. Alongside him on his journey through his life stories is his companion and fellow actor/writer Michael Begley. Together on stage the warm companionable energy and easy affection is reminiscent of a quality comedy double act from a bygone era.

On a stage littered with vertigo challenging ladders are old fashioned tea trolleys, record players and television that hark back to the past. They exude charm while the imposing ladders hint at barriers to certain hopes and dreams. Moments where Michael whispers bitter comments on disability that are robustly challenged by Peter are perhaps hints that it’s time to leave old fashioned views of disability behind and look with fresh eyes at the person and not the chair they sit in.

There is a lovely energy to this production with Director Mike Shepherd using that sense of magical whimsy that Kneehigh do so well. The use of masks and puppetry to bring to life the spectre of Mr C.P. as a satanic influence on Peters life is playful and dramatic but highly effective as a description of living with cerebral palsy. The choice of songs such from artists such as Leonard Cohen, The Velvet Underground and James illustrate the themes of love and loss. They play alongside poetry from Keeley and tell of human desire and the frustrations of living with cerebral palsy but also the poignancy of bereavement and grief. The writer’s mother was a midwife who had safely delivered so many babies for others but the birth of her twin boys in the hospital she worked was difficult and both babies were born with cerebral palsy.

Peter Keeley and Michael Begley in That Love Thing. Image credit: Natalia Riga

Peter Keeley seems utterly at home on stage and delivers a truly charming performance. Michael Begley sings, dances and slithers up ladders as the sinister Mr C.P. while carefully ensuring that this show flows but keeps Keeley first and foremost throughout the production. At an hour long this is a brief but highly memorable window into one man’s life. Perhaps the next outing may even introduce the mysterious, much desired Miss Jones…I do hope so…

HOME 20th, 22nd -23rd November 2024

COCK

Small Theatres

Written by Mike Bartlett

Directed by Rupert Hill

HER PRODUCTIONS/ Up Ere Productions

53Two

This 2009 play by Mike Bartlett caused quite a stir in London and New York when originally staged. The dilemma of a man hopelessly procrastinating over whether to choose to continue a life with his male partner of seven years or start afresh with a woman he has recently met when on a relationship break makes for an interesting premise. Perhaps originally viewed as a gritty exploration of a gay man trying to come to terms with being bisexual, COCK is much more nuanced. This Pinteresque drama is a blistering analysis of one man’s indecisiveness as he wrestles not just with his sexuality but his very sense of Self. Seemingly powerless to make a clear decision in his personal life, this production highlights just how destructive and controlling John’s behaviour is precisely because of his wavering. His partner M and new lover W are seemingly locked into this love triangle by John’s unwillingness to choose one of them as he refuses to label his sexual desire. Is he simply a selfish man wanting his cake with extra cock and cunt or is he genuinely torn with a human desire that defies a neat societal label?

Director Rupert Hill confidently tackles the complex issues raised in this meaty play. He is ably supported by a very strong cast. Joe Gill is John, the procrastinating partner whose wavering indecision makes him oblivious to the cruel impact his actions have on M and W. Gill gives John a certain likability despite the pain he inflicts on those he loves. There is genuine poignancy in this internal struggle with identity and the societal pressure to conform to the expectations of others. John O’Neill bristles with raw hurt, frustration and insecurity and misogyny. Totally immersed in his character his performance is mesmerising even off stage when he watches John and W with an almost voyeuristic intent.

John O’Neill and Joe Gill in COCK at 53Two Image credit: Shay Rowan

Hannah Ellis Ryan is gutsy and vibrant as W; intensely set on getting John to choose her. It’s easy to see the attraction she draws from John as her character enthrals him with her positivity and enthusiasm. The scene where John discovers heterosexual sex is witty and perfectly pitched and Ellis Ryan nails it. With legs akimbo at one end of the bare stage, she gleefully sets the scene with a pose reassembling a goalpost awaiting a winning penalty goal. Colin Connor is the father hell-bent on protecting his son’s relationship with a mixture of floundering confusion and genuine love for both men. This performance adds real rich humour and warmth to the dinner party from hell as the other chief protagonists battle over John.

It’s a credit to the production and the actors that some of the raw edges in this Bartlett play matter less than they should. It would be easy to dismiss John as not worth either characters love, or wonder if W is not just a tad obsessed or that M is coercive and controlling. Instead the focus is on the electrifying energy on the stage which seems powerful enough to charge the four lamps that mark the corners of this otherwise unadopted stage. The sound arrangement by Alec Waters is the only other adornment to subtly reflect the emotional charge onstage and does so very effectively. The closing scene gives no really satisfying conclusion and here it doesn’t need to as the acting itself is the icing on this cake.

53TWO 13th – 17th November 2024

KIN

Small Theatres

Roberta Kerr as Kay in KIN at HOME
Image credit: Shay Rowan

Written by Christine Mackie

Directed by Sue Jenkins

Her Productions and Best Girl Productions

HOME

Two sisters-in-law come together to bury one man. Robert was a husband to Kay and a big brother to Steph but as the play unfolds it would appear that Robert was so much more as family secrets are revealed and his grieving wife discovers she has just buried a man she barely knew. So far so good in this all female led, meaty saga written by Christine Mackie. This is gutsy, character led drama written to celebrate story telling for women of a certain age and it certainly delivers on all those fronts. There is gritty realism, high drama and even a few post- menopausal punches… weilding fists not fans!

This dark family tale with multiple twists and turns is further strengthened by assured performances from both leads in this two-hander. Roberta Kerr is excellent as Kay, a working class woman who has forged a successful independent business career despite marrying old money in the gentrified Robert. Her performance veers from brusque, pragmatic keep calm and carry on to moments of desperate hurt and pure rage and consternation as Steph blithely tears her world asunder. Kerr makes every moment and gesture count ensuring her on stage presence commands your attention. Steph is equally complex but is a harder watch on stage as her story arc unfolds. Kerry Willison-Parry does a great job delivering many of the witty one-liners as the feckless youngest daughter in a blue-blooded family full of dark secrets. However her character is by turns so utterly loathsome and irritating that it is difficult to feel genuine empathy and affection for this damaged women who has never really grown up and matured. Even in the final moments of the play it seems like her attempts to mother effectively will require Kay to mother her.

Kerry Willison-Parry as Steph in KIN at HOME. Image credit: Shay Rowan

These two women unpick the historic family dynamics in a way that repeatedly pulls them closer then blows them apart until a potentially redemptive ending that may just herald a new beginning for both of them. Director Sue Jenkins ensures that the bleaker dramatic moments are laced through with a blend of dark humour, tea and Chardonnay. There are however concerns where occasional moments of slightly hammed up humour land awkwardly and risk some of the more harrowing events in this production losing their full emotional impact. I can only commend both actresses for maintaining their composure in a particularly poignant scene despite several audience members guffawing throughout a scene that deals with some incredibly sensitive topics. This full length play has all the elements of a juicy Radio 4 play or the Christmas evening episode of a major Soap opera. It’s great to see women writing and creating vivid stories together for themselves and for each other.

HOME MCR 29th Oct – 2nd Nov 2024