• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

News and entertainment worth sharing – York and North Yorkshire

  • News
  • Things to do
  • Radio
  • Vouchers
  • Categories
    • Business
  • More
    • Comments
    • Advertise
    • Contact us
City Cruises York

Review: A Taste Of Honey, York Theatre Royal

Wednesday 9 July, 2014 @ 11.17 am News Jo Haywood
Share via...
york-theatre-royal-taste-of-honey-main
Acting her socks off… Rebecca Ryan as Jo
  A Taste Of Honey
  York Theatre Royal, July 8-12, 2014

Playwright Shelagh Delaney was inspired to put pen to paper after seeing a production of Terence Rattigan’s Variations On A Theme. She wasn’t blown away by the story of the love affair between Margaret Leighton and the much younger actor Laurence Harvey, she just thought she could do better.

The result of her 19-year-old cockiness was A Taste Of Honey, a funny, touching and, at the time, shocking dissection of Britain’s post-war dysfunctionality set amid the rubble and grime of a Manchester tenement.

Her key character, Jo, is also a cocky teenager, sticking two fingers up at the world from the soot-smeared window of the grotty bedsit she shares with her flighty mother, Helen, whose morals are just slightly looser than her grasp on money.

york-theatre-royal-taste-of-honey-duoIn this widely-acclaimed joint production by Hull Truck and Derby Theatre, young actress Rebecca Ryan, probably best known for her long-running role as Debbie Gallagher in Channel 4’s Shameless, acts her little white cotton ankle-socks off as Jo, punching and jabbing through every line in a never-ending battle with her over-bearing, slack-drawed mother.

It’s a praiseworthy performance, and not just because of the sheer number of lines she’s had to learn to power her way through a two-hour centre-stage role in which her only respite is five minutes under an eiderdown as her mother bullies her only friend out of her life.

Ryan gives a powerhouse performance, expertly going toe-to-toe with experienced actress Julie Riley as a drawling, ferociously funny (and sometimes just downright ferocious) matriarch with a heart as dark and murky as the Manchester ship canal.

A trio of men – Christopher Hancock as Jo’s gay best friend Geoff; Lekan Lawal as sailor and Jo’s baby-daddy Jimmie; and James Weaver as Helen’s drunk-as-a-skunk (and about as welcome in a small bedsit) suitor Peter – give able support and provide wonderful vocal accompaniment throughout a production that makes effective use of evocative music.

But this show is not about them; it’s about the women they love and leave, a mother and daughter whose constant battles with life and each other provide two talented actresses with the chance to shine amid the dank, bare-bulb half-light of a Manchester bedsit.

Sometimes success tastes sweet as honey, but in this case it’s pepper-sharp, and all the better for it.

  • A Taste Of Honey is at York Theatre Royal until Saturday, July 12
  • For more details and to book see the theatre’s website
  • More reviews here
  • Footer

    YorkMix
    News 01904 848 766
    Email YorkMix news »
    5-6 King's Court, Shambles, York  YO1 7LD
    YorkMix Radio
    General enquiries 01904 375 029
    Studio/competitions 01904 375 030
    Email YorkMix Radio »
    Selby Superbowl, Bawtry Road, Selby  YO8 8NA
    YorkMix is a trading name of YorkMix Media Ltd
    Registered in England
    Company number: 07814727
    VAT number: 154 0364 34
    © York Sound Ltd

    Copyright © 2022 YorkMix Media Ltd

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT