Dates/Times/Venue/Location
Fri 18 Sept @ 6:45pm, SQUEAK - Cheltenham
Sat 19 Sept @ 3:45pm, SQUEAK - Cheltenham
Sun 20 Sept @ 6:45pm, SQUEAK - Cheltenham
At 15, Hazel fell pregnant. It was 1976. Did she keep her baby, give him up, or was he taken from her?
The play begins in the present. Hazel’s parents have recently died and their house is now on the market. That much is set in stone but nothing else is certain.
Each performance of this part-devised, part-scripted, part-improvised show is unique, as it navigates the same set of starting points but allows the actors to take Hazel (now 65) and her son, Robert (50) on an infinite number of different journeys before ultimately coming full-circle back to the house where each of their lives began.
Perhaps Robert grew up here. Perhaps he didn’t. Has Hazel inherited the house, and Robert comes seeking his mother? Or is Hazel returning, hoping to find the son she lost? Maybe they have always known each other and returning reveals truths neither expected. Perhaps one of them didn’t even live to tell the tale.
Each performance explores these possibilities anew. Guided by audience choices at various points, the actors each discover the other’s journey in real time, surprising each other and themselves, as the story unfolds.
Running time: 55min
Suitable for Age 14+
Warnings: The show is partly improvised so content will vary but will include references to teenage pregnancy and may include strong language, references to abortion or baby loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death), maternal death in childbirth, abandonment, kidnap, adoption or family estrangement.
REVIEWS
Audience Reviews
‘...tears in my eyes and goosebumps’
‘Brilliant ... thought provoking and fun to watch.’
‘A collection of “sliding doors” outcomes.’
‘Echoes... .of loss, hidden shame, guilt and tenuous love.’
‘LOVED it! A fascinating and original take on the choices we make.’
CREATIVES
Created, Performed and Produce by Julia Bolden and John Harper
Presented by The Two Jays
CAST:
Julia Bolden as Hazel Barton
John Harper as Robert Barton
