Be My Baby

‘Be My Baby’ gives us the story of four young girls who find themselves ‘in trouble’ in a time when babies not born in wedlock was more disastrous to a young lady’s life than anything else, and catastrophic for their reputation. The play is set in a mother and baby hospital in the 1960s, where the girls work while pregnant to earn their keep, having no choice but to have their newly born babies given away and adopted by parents who could provide all of what they could not.

The play, focusing on four very different girls, is a poignant script, some very witty lines and classic 1960s' tunes, (I remember them vividly).

Georgie Sayers did a great job with ‘Be My Baby’. One thing that cannot be denied is the talent of the young cast, of actresses, Alice Tilley as Mary, Amy Metcalfe as Norma, Faye Wyatt as Queenie, and Mia Heathercote as Dolores. All were well cast as the super-sweet girls led into their different situations of getting pregnant. Their sobering confessions to the matron (Jan Wyatt) as when ‘her time’ arrived were quite heart-breaking. All these actresses gave very impressive performances. Jill Balderston was an excellent tormented middleclass mother, The real star of this show, for me, was, Mia Heathcote playing Dolores. This character is the centre of much of the comedy, from her adorable naivety to her infinite good nature and enthusiasm, despite her circumstances. Mia’s facial nuances were so perfect. Jan Wyatt as the bossy boots Matron, had to cover all areas of acting ability and she did this with ease.

A split set worked well and, as always props, were in period, and the costumes were in period. Just one thought: I thought Matron would have been dressed in a uniform as it would have been in a hospital in the 60s, only my opinion.

‘Be My Baby’ was a well-directed piece of theatre that Rats should be proud of, thank you for inviting my guest and I.

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