The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

A Taste of Honey at Trafalgar Studios

A Taste of Honey at Trafalgar Studios | Theatre review
10 December 2019
Jonathan Marshall
Avatar
Jonathan Marshall
10 December 2019

The late 50s were a time of great change in British theatre. Beginning with John Osborne’s 1956 classic Look Back in Anger, the end of the decade saw the start of a new genre – the kitchen sink drama. Shelagh Delaney followed Osborne’s lead with her 1958 play A Taste of Honey, written when she was just 19. Unlike the escapist theatre offered throughout the post-war 40s, kitchen sink drama featured angry protagonists from working-class backgrounds. These plays put real people on stage and explored the social and political issues of the time, offering a raw commentary that hadn’t been seen before. Mike Leigh and Ken Loach embellished these themes, which ultimately provided blueprints for soap operas like EastEnders and Coronation Street.

Set in Salford, A Taste of Honey tells the story of mother and daughter Helen and Jo, who move into new lodgings which are shabby to say the least. Meeting a younger man, Helen runs off with him, leaving Jo to her own devices. Jo also falls for someone, a black sailor named Jimmie who promises marriage. Things are looking up until he heads for the seas and fails to return. With Jo alone and pregnant, her gay friend Geof moves in and assumes the role of surrogate parent until Helen returns and discovers what’s been going on.  

With a gay character during a time when homosexuality was still illegal in this country and Jo becoming engaged to a black man, it’s not hard to see why the play provoked such shock when it premiered. There have been so many cultural and social shifts since, reassigning what was once a controversial and daring play to a period piece that illuminates just how our society and our attitudes have changed.

A three-piece jazz band under the helm of musical director David O’Brien injects pace into the production, although some might find the addition of music somewhat jarring against the naturalistic dialogue and setting of the play. Hildegard Bechtler’s dark and dingy set, however, reminds us of the reality we’re in. 

Jodie Prenger is utterly faultless in the role of Helen, capturing and expressing each and every feeling her character experiences. Gemma Dobson complements her well with a gripping, inviting and ultimately heartfelt performance. The boys aren’t given much to do, which perhaps says something about Delaney and the time in which she was writing, but their acting is second to none. Stuart Thompson as Geof, in particular, teases us with what he might have to offer in future. This is an actor to watch.

A Taste of Honey might not be the sweetest story, but that doesn’t mean it lacks heart. With the once shocking elements of homosexuality and interracial relationships now simply an embraced aspect of modern life, this revival is able to cast more focus on the mother-daughter relationship at the heart of the play. It’s still a feminist work and it’s still a stark slice of life that stirs our thoughts. Delaney’s masterpiece may be more of a simmer than a boil, but it has undoubtedly stood the test of time and remains a classic for a reason.

★★★★★

Jonathan Marshall
Photos: Marc Brenner

A Taste of Honey is at from 10th December until 29th February 2020. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for A Taste of Honey here:

Related Itemsreview

More in Theatre

Redemption Room at Secret Theatre Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

24, 23, 22 at Chronic Insanity Online

★★★★★
Samuel Nicholls
Read More

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at Southwark Playhouse Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Typical at Soho Theatre

★★★★★
Ella Satin
Read More

Grimm Tales for Fragile Times and Broken People

★★★★★
Emma-Jane Betts
Read More

Gatsby at Cadogan Hall: An interview with Jodie Steele and Ross William Wild

Michael Higgs
Read More

Living Record Festival: Ain’t No Female Romeo

★★★★★
Brooke Snowe
Read More

West End Musical Drive In Online

★★★★★
James Humphrey
Read More

Hymn at the Almeida Theatre Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Theatre review

Jonathan Marshall

A Taste of Honey

★★★★★

Dates

10th December 2019 - 29th February 2020

Price

From £18

Links & directions

TwitterInstagramFacebookWebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Detroit Stories – Alice Cooper
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Laura Mvula – Under a Pink Moon
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Toll
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
  • Black Bear
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
  • Big vs Small
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
  • No táxi do Jack (Jack’s Ride): An interview with director Susana Nobre
    Berlinale
  • I’m Your Man (Ich bin dein Mensch): An interview with stars Dan Stevens and Maren Eggert
    Berlinale
  • I’m Your Man: An interview with Maria Schrader and Jan Schomburg
    Berlinale
  • I’m Your Man (Ich bin dein Mensch) press conference
    Berlinale
  • Moxie
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Souad
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • We (Nous)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Bicep at Saatchi Gallery Online
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Winter Lake
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Jumanji: The Next Level | Movie review
Borough Market Kitchen brings the community together with delicious world cuisine