FROM THE BARN THEATRE ARCHIVE

Home, I’m Darling

By Laura Wade
Directed by Laura Ilinca
4th – 12th October 2024 at 8:00pm
Matinee on 12th at 2:30pm

Duration: 2hrs 20mins approx. including one interval.

A witty comedy and a profound commentary on gender dynamics and nostalgia.

Our thanks to the Reuse Charity Shop in Tewin Road, Welwyn Garden City, for their help with props.

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!

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

Directed by
Laura Ilinca

MEDIA & REVIEWS​

An amusing, affecting, inspiring evening of soft gingham and hard truths.
5/5
The Times
A cracking new play.
4/5
Mail on Sunday
Sharp, funny and sad.
4/5
Independent
Fizzes with energy.
4/5
Evening Standard

DON'T FORGET, COMING UP AT THE BARN SOON

An Evening of One-Act Plays at the Barn Theatre Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire - 19th – 22nd February 2025 Growing Pains by Kim Southey and Tuna Fish Eulogy by Lindsay Price
Opening 19th February
By Kim Southey & Lindsay Price

 

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Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Statement

At the Barn we are committed to promoting equality and challenging discrimination in all its forms. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment for all members of the cast and creative team, regardless of their race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity and will work to prevent any form of discrimination or harassment within our organisation.

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.

Charity Preview Night
6th February at 8.00pm

CEDAR Trust Tickets

All Other Performances
7th – 15th February at 8.00pm
Matinee on 15th at 2.00pm