Review: OUR MOTHER'S DAUGHTERS, The Hen & Chickens Theatre
The production runs until 30 May
.png?format=auto&width=1400){kind=small}
To be a woman is to be complex: it’s to be aware; it’s to be everything society tells you you aren’t, and more. Being a woman is to question if wanting children and marriage makes you a bad feminist, to question if wanting pro-choice really means ‘choosing’ if you know deep down you’d always keep the baby - every single time. These are just some of the things that writer Sarah Tara Ray taps into with the latest run of her play, Our Mother’s Daughters.
The play follows a character simply referred to as ‘The Artist’, played by LJ Williams, as she tries to navigate her life after her latest plot twist: falling pregnant with her ex’s baby. Alongside her for every step is her two best friends (or, more so, sisters): Kat, a woman who knows what she wants and believes, but is currently balancing helping her friend and planning her wedding at the same time; and Billie, The Artist’s roommate and longest friend, who isn’t quite sure how to get her life ‘on track’.
Photo Credit: Luke Martin.
After she finds out about her pregnancy, The Artist confesses to Sophie, the woman she has been seeing. The interaction opens up an argument, and after the use of very negative bisexual stereotypes, heated debates, and an insane amount of miscommunication, The Artist finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about Sophie, and pans her attention to the real issue at hand: ‘Do I keep the baby?’
Through the use of brilliantly witty lines, inside jokes with layers of relatability, and moments that will make you grab your female Best Friend’s hands and whisper, “that is so us”, Ray’s writing will either make you want to go outside and scream to the world how much you love being a woman, or tell every woman you know how much you love them.
Photo credit: Luke Martin.
As well as writing the incredibly heartwarming piece, Ray also stars as ‘Billie’: the friend we either all have or are ourselves, who will do anything for you blindly and without hesitation. Billie’s entire arc throughout this play creates humorous moments of relatability, self-reflection, and groundedness. She is a prime example of ‘you start when you’re ready, not when society tells you’, and truly lives by the beat of her own drum. I wonder how much of Billie’s character is mirrored in Ray, as the performance is effortless and comes from a place of such genuine truth. Her monologue about a woman’s rights to choose when it comes to abortions, in regards to when and how late, is a standout moment within the piece - one that will stay with you for a while after. An incredibly dynamic performance.
Natasha Mula stars as the newly engaged, hopeless romantic friend, Kat. Serving as the friend who will remind you that not all things are as truly black-and-white as you may think, Kat has always known that the one thing she wants for certain in her life, more than anything else, is to be a mother. This leads to her beautiful speech about how the fact that she wants to be a wife, and wants to have children of her own, does not make her any less of a feminist, or want to fight for a woman’s right to choose the life she wants for herself. Just because her dreams follow what society typically wants from a woman doesn't make them any less valid. Mula’s emotional range and depth are a highlight of this piece - a performance that truly stood out.
LJ Williams has audiences hooked on her every word in the role of The Artist. She is human, she is a real person you probably know. Her performance ties the play together and is the heart of the piece. Williams' emotions are raw and subtle, never overplaying her actions. You follow along in her emotional journey and get caught up in the moment with her, finding yourself rooting for The Artist every step of the way. A brilliant leading actress.
Photo credit: Luke Martin.
Completing the cast is Andi Bickers as Sophie, a character who knows exactly who she is and what she stands for, and is performed remarkably throughout the whole play; Emma played by Ellen Pallant, The Artist’s little sister whose Pro-Life stance created a harrowing beat change in the play at the perfect moment; and Mum performed by Jessica Radcliffe, who made audience members ultimately want to hug their mum and have a deep conversation with them. The entire cast is phenomenal and deserves their moments.
At the heart of every female friendship group, no matter the age, is love and a joint effort to make sure you’re in each other's lives until you’re old and grey. Our Mother’s Daughters looks at the question of ‘is loving someone enough to look past their political views and belief systems?’, and wonders how complex being alive actually is.
You will laugh, you will cry, and you’ll want to hold your best friends close to you and never let them go.
Our Mother’s Daughters plays at The Hen & Chickens Theatre in Islington until 30 May before transferring to The WIP Festival at Playhouse East on 16–17 June
Reader Reviews
Videos
