This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. / Oberon Modern Plays.
Obsessed by the 1950s, Judy and Johnny live in an idyllic retro home with her keeping house while he plays the traditional breadwinner. Judy is striving to be the perfect 1950s housewife and look after her husband. She revels in the joys of domesticity: making cakes, fancy cocktails and homemade marmalade. And Johnny seems to have it all: an attentive wife, a beautiful home – and a promotion at work on its way. But how long can it go on? Life outside the comfort of their four walls begins to weigh upon them. As reality begins to creep in, and the cracks start to appear in the bakelite, the couple are forced to question their lifestyle choices and consider compromise.
The play made its world premiere at Theatr Clwyd in a co-production with the National Theatre in 2018, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, and was nominated for the UK Theatre’s Best New Play. It transferred to the Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre, London, starring Katherine Parkinson as Judy. There have been various other transfers and also a UK tour, as well as runs in Australia, including at the Sydney Opera House.
Featuring popular music of the 50s and the characters jiving and lindy-hopping around the pastel-soaked kitchen and open-plan living space, Laura Wade’s clever play is quirky, funny, entertaining – and set in Welwyn Garden City!
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Home, I’m Darling
A clever social comedy that tackles a lot of cultural issues:
Gender divide: The play highlights the dependence on men that Judy unwittingly embraces as a 1950s housewife. Her horizons narrow, and she grapples with the gains of feminism cast aside. Judy’s husband, Johnny, eventually loses faith in this gender-divided project, emphasising the play’s exploration of gender roles.
Mental health and feminism: Wade’s central message is that mental health is a feminist issue. The pressures on women to balance career, home and societal expectations are relentless. The play subtly critiques these pressures and the delicate balance women must strike.