'A Taste of Honey' at Riverside Theatre

It would be regarded as tame compared to Eastenders or Coronation Street. The language is restrained and content implied, so you have to read between the lines but the thought is bold and feelings real.

In a time obsessed with the so-called “modern family” where emotional relationship was emphasised for the first time, a nineteen year old girl wrote a passionate statement about real people trapped in poverty, deprived of ambition and vulnerable to manipulation by the fickleness of others.

In the idealised world of the 1950s family, everyone but particularly women, could expect both practical support and emotional sustenance. The illusion of a perfect “modern family” falls far short for an awkward, shy 17-year-old girl living with her promiscuous alcoholic mother.

In the fifties, Shelagh Delaney’s work was a rare thing, a questioning female voice exploring subjects like a mixed race relationship, teenage pregnancy, alcohol abuse and homosexuality.

The youth of the writer and the intensely real back-story of each character, adds to the exhilarating and heart-breaking roller coaster of emotions.

Suitable for age 12 but likely to appeal to age 14+. A Taste of Honey (19th February) is presented by Love&Madness Theatre Company in a double date with Romeo & Juliet (18th February). Two tales of teenage angst and strong women.

Tickets available online at www.riversidetheatre.org.uk or from the Box Office on Tel. 028 7032 3232