A Taste of Honey, National Theatre

A Taste of Honey broke almost every taboo going when it was first appeared on the scene in the 1950s. It was originally produced by Theatre Workshop, the pioneering and hugely influential ensemble run by Joan Littlewood, who would have turned 100 next year. To mark her centenary, the National Theatre is kicking off its new season with a revival of this iconic post-war play which she put on the map.

Written by Shelagh Delaney when she was just nineteen, the play's bold plot follows a working class girl who suddenly finds herself pregnant and alone in 1950s Salford and comments on class, race, gender and sexual orientation - no mean feat for a debut by a teenager.

It was one of the so-called 'kitchen sink' plays that swept through British theatre in the 1950s, largely produced by Theatre Workshop and the Royal Court. The genre often depicted working class characters and situations that had previously been ignored or stereotypically portrayed, and was arguably the precursor of later television soaps such as Coronation Street and EastEnders .

A Taste of Honey might not be as shocking as in the beginning, but it promises to be just as powerful. The cast who will be breathing fresh life into it includes television regular Lesley Sharp, familiar from shows such as Scott and Bailey and Afterlife , and Kate O’Flynn, who attracted critical acclaim earlier this year in the National Theatre’s production of Port . 

And for those who like their experience to continue after the curtain falls, the National Theatre is hosting a range of events to run alongside this production. Highlights include director Bijan Sheibani and designer Hildegard Bechtler’s reflections on the production, and a discussion about Northern realism led by Mancunian playwrights Jim Cartwright and Simon Stephens.

Tickets: £12-£50

Address and Map: South Bank, London SE1 9PX

Underground: Waterloo