‘finely balances the raw emotion and dark humour of this intense and moving drama’
Writer Caitríona Cunningham’s story is an important one to be told and to be heard, and director Patricia Byrne goes some way to achieving this as she finely balances the raw emotion and dark humour of this intense and moving drama.
It’s 1979, and against the backdrop of the wat in the North of Ireland, a pregnant Kitty (Aoibhinn O’Doherty) arrives at a mother and baby home, run by nuns, in particular the softer Sr. Roseanne (Maeve Connelly) and the more severe Sr. Celeste (Cathy Brennan Bradley). When she meets some of the other young women – rebellious Sarah; wiser Sinead (Roma Harvey); and contrite Caroline (Christine Clark), shared experiences soon turn to frustration at the system, none more so than with the arrival of the very young Ellen (Rachel Harley).
In parallel, at various times between 1990 and today, we meet Jackie (Sorcha Shanahan), an adoptee who through her own life experiences eventually determines to seek out her birth mother: with whom will she be reconciled?
The play is based on Cunningham’s lived experience as a young woman in Marianvale mother and baby institution in Newry. and is a call to those impacted to come forward, to raise their voice so that they may never again be silenced and shamed for being human.
It is not the purpose of this review to comment on the story, other than to echo the sentiment at its heart, but rather to comment on this performance and the production of it.
The play grew out of the writing of a scene prompted by Byrne some seven years ago along with the assistance of Dramaturg Dr Emily DeDakis, with this now its second tour. Whilst the production is effectively chronological, including the more recent scenes with Jackie, I wonder whether a less involved director would have considered a more impactful opening, such as Sarah’s closing scene, and worked back from there.
Writers are always told to ‘show don’t tell’ but it wasn’t followed in the opening half and the conversations sometimes felt forced and lacking a natural flow. As the saying goes, it’s a game of two halves, and it was much improved and effective post-interval. Jackie’s scenes were monologues that strayed a little too close to lecture; I wonder whether providing a foil for her character each time – a parent; her brother; her partner – would prove more engaging.
Robert Attewell’s multi-purpose set design is impressive and enables a variety of scenes to be explored from dormitory to break room, from chapel to hospital ward, from pre-teen bedroom to domestic home, and I particularly enjoyed the cast-led set changes, orchestrated by Stage Manager Susie Garvey-Williams, whilst very much in pregnant character, and in period appropriate costumes designed by Cara Parc.
Too many of the scenes are short and I would have liked a greater sense of ennui to have been developed, certainly in the opening half, and the characters’ frustrations expressed with greater irrationality. Conversely, shorter scenes would have been more impactful in the second half had it not been for the overly long musical accompaniment that was then extended further into the scene change. Robert Mulhern’s choice of songs/lyrics was inspired and perfect for each occasion but would be more effective if restricted to the scene change alone.
There are solid performances from all the cast and whilst returning players were clearly at an advantage, I am mindful this was the opening night of the tour, and I am confident this will level out all round as it continues. The contrast between Connelly and Bradley’s two nuns was well presented and the arrival of Harley’s Ellen was particularly impactful.
The Victims and Survivors Service (VSS) has launched a new service dedicated to supporting those impacted by Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries, and Workhouses in Northern Ireland. Further details www.victimsservice.org
Fréa Renewing Roots supports former residents of Ireland’s Mother and Baby and County Home institutions, offering free confidential advice and advocacy to individuals affected by institutional incarceration and abuse. Further details https://frea.org.uk/
Sole Purpose Productions is a multi-award-winning company that has been making theatre on social and public issues for 28 years and receives core funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Annual Funding Programme. Further details https://www.solepurpose.org/about
The Marian Hotel plays for one more night at Unity Theatre in Liverpool on 7th February, but you’ll struggle to get a ticket as like this opening night, it too is rightfully sold out. I would encourage you to get your ticket for the remaining tour dates:
12th February: An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny
17th February: Marketplace Theare, Armagh
23rd and 24th February: Millennium Forum, Derry
Review Date: 6th February 2026
Star Rating: FOUR