A Taste of Honey

There was a very different feel to the theatre as I walked in to the auditorium. The play had been set on a thrust stage with three sides for the audience and we were very close to the action. This was a successful decision by Director David Hart as it echoed the claustrophobic atmosphere of the flat and the relationships of the people in it. It also meant that some of the cast could address the audience directly, generally when they wanted us to support their opinions or share a moment of humour. The pace of the dialogue was very fast in some parts but almost stilted in others, demonstrating the inadequacy of the characters and their lack of empathy or understanding. The audience was pulled through a number of emotions during the play and left with quite a few unanswered questions.

Deborah Este was a terrific Helen. She was never still, her feet constantly moved or she kept changing position as she drunkenly leant on the furniture. She was angry, spitting out her brutal words towards Jo. Needy, selfish, overtly sexual and thoughtless, we knew she would never change.

Her daughter Jo (Josephine) was played by Cahir Williams. She had some excellent timing with her quick retorts but was also vulnerable and just as lonely as her mother. She’d seen and knew too much for her age but it didn’t stop her making the same mistakes. The fact that she rarely called Helen mum, spoke volumes.

Cian Harriss was a sleazy bully as Peter. We couldn’t trust him and felt Jo’s reluctance to be alone with him. Nitin Sharma was The Boy. We wanted him to be loyal and loving but no, once he’d seduced Jo he disappeared. Geoffrey, Isaac Ives, was kind, gentle and the only character that truly wanted to help Jo. He saw himself as rebelling against the system but still bought her a parenting book and a baby doll to practise with.

The set was suitably tatty and untidy, the dark lighting suited the heaviness of the play and I liked the real light switch and bare bulb. Care had been taken with costumes to ensure they were from the correct era, even down to the baby clothes. I was impressed by Helen’s stockings and underwear and her brash wig and red lipstick reminded me of a real life tragic character, Ruth Ellis. The props were also right for the time, I spotted the newspaper, magazine, cigarette box, toy car and doll but I’m sure there were more. The moment of extreme violence with the doll was particularly shocking and worked well. The changing of props and a few items of furniture signalled the passage of time to the audience.

This is a challenging text due to its subject matter and outdated attitudes but Centre Stage did a very good job of bringing it to life. The Director told me there had been plenty of challenges along the way but an appropriate compromise was reached and we the audience, experienced a thought provoking piece of theatre. Well done.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.