A Taste Of Honey - Malvern

Reviewed By: Rebecca Vines

Shelagh Delaney's famously grimy depiction of 1960's Salford is brought squalidly to life by the One For The Road theatre company under the direction of Stuart Wood.

This seminal piece of work - part of the kitchen sink canon - reminded the 1960's audience of how the world was changing. To those of us in 2006, it reminds us piquantly how much the world has changed. Yes, it is a museum piece, but sensitively handled it still has the power to shock and sting - not so much in the social sense but more in how brutal human nature is at its rawest.

The cast sinks into the period feel, Samantha Giles imbuing every aspect of the vile and damaged Helen with a sharp, nails-down-a-blackboard quality. Bruno Langley is wonderfully understated as the vulnerable and loving Geoffrey, and Andonis Anthony and Chris Jack offer superbly believable support as the sinister Peter and sailor Jimmy respectively.

Samantha Robinson steals the show as the sparky, single-minded Jo who knows what she wants but not really why she wants it. This is a lovely, nuanced performance of great emotional depth and Robinson raises the general standard from very good to great. The technical style is a little shonky but overall this is a very watchable show that deserves your attention.

© Theatreworld Internet Magazine, 13/6/06

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