Thank you for supporting ‘A Taste of Honey’. Please keep supporting theatre!

To everyone who came to see our recent production – thank you. Whether you were there on opening night, came back more than once, or brought friends along with you, your support means everything.

We are delighted with the production and how well received it has been with audiences. Our small cast made up of Caroline Nash, Tayla Kenyon, Alexander J.C. Forni, Brian Bususu and Angus Roughley were fantastic and really brought the award-winning play to life.

The amazing set design by James Smith, lighting and sound engineering from James Tearle and Elliot Willis, and the costume design by Susan Lee Burton just brought everything together and transported you back to the 1950s. Thank you all for making this a huge success.

Here’s just a small sample of the reviews and kind feedback we have received so far:-

Sean Calvert at Stony Radio

The Play's The Thing Theatre Company’s production of Shelagh Delaney’s groundbreaking first play is a rare treat. The play centres on Jo (Tayla Kenyon) who goes from school girl to expectant mother and Helen (Caroline Nash) Jo’s Mum. This central dysfunctional relationship is the engine of the story and both actors bring a beautiful, nuanced performance. It’s a credit to Director Rosemary Hill that these characters are given the space to be sympathetic, infuriating, funny and heartbreakingly believable. The rest of the cast is made up of the men that drift into and out of Jo and Helen’s life, the idealistic young sailor Jimmie (Brian Bususu), the sleazy Peter (Alexander J C Forni) and the gentle Geof (Angus Roughley). Each offer so much to both Jo and Helen but this brief Taste of Honey is soon taken away. This is theatre of a rare quality brought to life by an outstanding production team. Special mention to Susan Lee Burton, James Smith and James Tearle whose costumes, set and lighting take you so vividly in the world of late 1950’s Manchester. And that’s the biggest shock this play delivers. This was written nearly 70 years ago, but Jo, Helen and the rest of the cast are still with us today. The social deprivation, the racism, the homophobia are still with us. These characters are our friends and neighbours. Will anyone come through for Jo? Will Helen be the Mother Jo (and the audience) need her to be? How good is this production? Well, we got tickets to see it again on Friday night!

Karen Phillips at Visit Milton Keynes

Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey is a provocative, gritty play that explores the struggles of a working-class mother and daughter in 1950s England. The story follows Jo, a sharp and independent teenager, and her unreliable and selfish mother, Helen, as they navigate life, love, poverty, and broken dreams. Described as a "kitchen sink drama" and hailed as "ahead of it's time", A Taste of Honey, by way of television, film, books and curriculum material, is a classic. This week, Rosemary Hill, with 'The Play's the Thing Theatre Company', brings their special production to Milton Keynes. The dialogue is witty and natural, the flow adept and the characters feel real and relatable. Delaney bravely addresses issues like class, race, gender, illegitimacy and sexuality at a time when few plays did. Jo’s resilience and honesty make her a standout character, her vulnerability showing through the often harsh exterior. Dealt a cruel hand in life, her character is complicated and emotional, her life unstable and chaotic. It's impossible to not feel for her. Helen is a fairly despicable character who's true colours come out with every touch and turn. You're desperate for her to change and show some genuine compassion and love. At times you want to warm to her in the hope that there's something likeable there. Jimmie ( The Boy ) and Peter enjoy less stage time but are nonetheless capable and worthy characters. Above all, it's Geof who stole the show for me. His beautiful kindness and susceptibilities are truly heartwarming and heartbreaking. This play is a very moving and thought-provoking piece that still feels relevant today. With some dire attitudes, that sadly still exist in the world today, it is fully captivating and gripping. Difficult and uncomfortable to watch at times, this is testament to the excellent direction, overall production, casting and delivery. Whilst bleak, A Taste of Honey is beautiful. There's sweet humour dotted in perfectly and it really delivers on the realities of life. It’s a strong example of how everyday lives can make powerful drama. Bravo to Rosemary Hill et al for bringing yet another brilliant and impressive production to the stage.

Shiny Hussain at Milton Keynes Community Hub

Sweetness with a Sting: A Taste of Honey Packs a Punch when at Stantonbury Theatre

A Taste of Honey was written by Shelagh Delaney when she was just 19. After one trip to the theatre (where she saw a rather dull middle-class drawing room drama at the Manchester Opera House), she thought, “I could do better” — and two weeks later, she had. The result was a bold, funny, and deeply moving play set in her hometown of Salford, centred on the messy, often painful, but very real relationship between a selfish mother and her teenage daughter.

What makes this play so special is how ahead of its time it was. Back in the late 1950s, it tackled issues that were rarely spoken about — class, race, sexuality, gender roles, and the age of sexual consent. It put working-class women centre stage in a way that just hadn’t been done before. And the amazing thing is: it still feels incredibly relevant today.

The Play’s The Thing has done a brilliant job with this production. It’s rich, layered, emotional, and often very funny. Caroline Nash and Tayla Kenyon are electric as Helen and Jo, the mother-daughter duo at the heart of the play. One minute you’re laughing at their biting banter, the next you’re wincing at the pain they inflict on each other. Helen admits she’s no “proper mother,” and yet there’s still a complicated bond there.

The men in their lives are brilliantly drawn, too. Peter (Alexander J C Forni) is Helen’s loud, sexist, racist boyfriend, and he’ll make your skin crawl. In contrast, Jimmie (Brian Bususu), the kind sailor Jo falls for, brings tenderness and warmth, and later, Geof (Angus Roughley), Jo’s gentle, caring friend, steps into the nurturing role Helen never managed to fill.

What Delaney does so beautifully is shine a light on people society often pushes aside—those who don’t fit in neatly, who are judged or ignored — and shows that they’re often the kindest, most human of all. Her message against prejudice is loud, clear, and still powerful.

Every element of the production is spot on. The acting is outstanding across the board. The pace, the humour, the emotional punches — it all lands. James Smith’s set design captures the bleakness of poor housing with chilling accuracy, James Tearle’s lighting adds mood and tension, Susan Lee Burton nails the period costumes, and Elliot Willis’s sound design ties everything together beautifully.

This is a must-see show, and we’re so lucky to have a company like The Play’s The Thing creating professional, thought-provoking theatre right here in Milton Keynes.

Massive congratulations to the whole team—five stars from me!

Lee Scriven at Do What in MK

“Congratulations all on a brilliant production of A Taste of Honey at Stantonbury Theatre tonight. The acting was excellent, the music, stage choreography, set and lighting was so provocative of that time. My friends loved it, one said it was wonderful to have this type of theatre locally. Hope you have a great run, this production deserves it. Xx”

“Wow! I’ve just been to see “A Taste of Honey” at Stantonbury Theatre and was blown away by the fabulous central performances of Caroline Nash and Tayla Kenyon as Helen and Jo. Their relationship was most definitely not that of a ‘normal’ mother and daughter, yet when Jo approaches motherhood she can’t help but mimic the selfish, narcissistic parenting skills she has grown up experiencing herself. From a theatrical viewpoint it’s amazing to think that this play, one of the first of what is now labelled the “gritty drama” genre, was written by a 19 year old in 1958. Its themes still resonate today, as evidenced by the laughter of recognition by tonight’s audience at meaningful points throughout. Fantastic direction, as ever, by Rosemary Hill, including unexpectedly choreographed set changes which brought out more of various character’s personalities - I’m not going to reveal any spoilers because I really do urge you to go and see this play for yourself! Well done all, front and back stage, it really was a triumph.”

Community theatre is built on passion, dedication, and teamwork - both on stage and behind the scenes. But what really brings it all to life is the audience. Your laughter and applause remind us why we do what we do.

We’re especially grateful to our local and theatre community for supporting us, spreading the word, and helping keep live performance alive. Putting on a show in a city like Milton Keynes, outside of the London spotlight, is no small feat and does come with its challenges.

Local theatre companies and theatre venues are under real pressure. Funding is scarce, production costs are increasing, and support from both local councils and the government just isn’t where it needs to be. We’re having to dig deep and find the funds ourselves, just to keep going and helping creativity thrive.

The stark truth is that if we don’t use our local theatres or support local professional and community theatre companies, we risk losing them. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

As we said in our previous blog, theatre venues are more than bricks and mortar - they’re places for creativity, connection, and community.

Without them, we won’t have brand new writing or a platform for the next generation to share their voice or underrepresented groups to tell their story. Theatre is more than just a hobby or entertainment, for us and for many others, it’s a lifeline and an outlet to connect and have a sense of belonging.

Please keep supporting local theatre and local theatre venues. If you see a show in or around Milton Keynes, tell people and spread the word. Let’s keep our stages alive with local talented, thought-provoking stories and new voices.

Thank you again for all your support.