Royal Lyceum Theatre Company

A bittersweet tale of love and longing, loneliness and betrayal, by Shelagh Delaney
directed by Tony Cownie

A Taste of Honey is a British classic from the northwest of England. This drama of tenements, housing estates and bingo halls burst onto the stage in what was to become known as 'kitchen sink drama'.

Delaney tells the story of Jo, a seventeen-year-old lass from Salford, whose mother goes from one relationship to another with little regard for her daughter.

In need of love, Jo takes up with Jimmy, a black sailor. But after proposing marriage, he abandons her and goes back to sea, leaving her pregnant at a time when race and teenage pregnancy were taboo subjects.

Shelagh Delaney was only 18 when she finished A Taste of Honey, a remarkable achievement given that it addresses issues of class, gender, race and sexuality. When it opened in 1958 it revitalised British theatre and in 1961 was made into an award-winning film starring Rita Tushingham as Jo.

This production will be directed by Tony Cownie (Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, Educating Agnes).