Directors Cate Goldwater Breheny and Marina Funcasta, accompanied by a dynamic cast and crew, brought Shelagh Delaney’s ‘A Taste of Honey’ to Bedlam’s stage, a play long celebrated for its raw analysis of life and love in working-class, post-war Britain. Ellie Wilcocks tragic, spiteful, yet comic portrayal of Helen filled the stage with enough depth to evoke both roaring laughter and stunned moments of silence. She was well paired with Megan Crutchley’s Jo whose witty pessimism alongside solemn retrospection effectively juxtaposed the roaring, stage-stealing Angus Morrison as Peter Smith.
The mother-daughter duo emulated a relationship that, whilst depicting a devastating failure of maternity, let in glimpses of love and a will for a better connection, making the narrative even more devastating. The set design was a minimalistic yet effective portrayal of a working-class home, that became both physically and atmospherically changed by the glow of a healthy, platonic love in the second half, as generated by Crutchley and Aaron de Veres’ Jo and Geoff. In spite of this transformation Funcasta and Goldwater Breheny maintain a sense of the gritty, urban atmosphere of 50s Manchester without a glimpse outside of the apartment.
The quirky, upbeat, musical accompaniment propelled the narrative along, aiding the comic elements of the production as actors broke the wall to gesture throughout the play, this choice helped to alienate the emotional intensity of the play allowing audiences to appreciate the story as a whole. Funcasta and Goldwaters Breheny’s production was a triumph. It honored the legacy of Shelagh Delaney’s groundbreaking work while breathing new life into its timeless themes, analysing with depth, care and humor tainted love in post-war Manchester.
Image Provided via Bedlam Theatre Press Release