A Taste of Honey

A Taste of Honey, adapted from Shelagh Delaney's first Britsh classic, presents a realistic, and often uncomfortably so portrayal of life for the common folks in post-war Britain. Depicting this reality from the perspective of its two female leads, A Taste of Honey is groundbreaking for its euphoric portrayal of the female spirit - glory, strength, vulnerabilities et al. The show is directed by Bijan Sheibahi of Barber Shop Chronicles fame and Hildegard Bechtler is the set designer. Upon debuting in West End on 27th May 1958, the play set the ground for the revolutionary “kitchen sink” realism that marked a new era of British theater.

The Story

Set in Salford, North West England in the 1950s, A Taste of Honey is the story of a 17-year old working-class girl Jo and her mother Helen. Helen is best described as crude and sexually promiscuous and the story picks up when she leaves her daughter alone at their home to pursue a relationship with Peter, a much younger rich lover. Resilient and feisty, Jo soon begins a relationship of her own with Jimmy, a black sailor. Jimmy promises to marry Jo but heads for the sea instead, leaving her pregnant and alone. During these troubling times, Jo finds support with Geoffrey, a gay acquaintance who taken on the role of a surrogate father. What happens when Helen returns? Does Jimmy return to take responsibility for his child? Watch A Taste of Honey to find out.

Good for

Fans of drama