Love Child – Higher Ground – 4.5K

When Joanna Murray-Smith’s Love Child played at this year’s Fringe it quickly became one of the hits of the Festival, winning a Critics Circle Best award.

Director and Early Worx supremo, Charles Sanders, has brought the show back in the run up to him taking it to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe – that being a delight to help counter the wave of that festival’s material that inundates our stages in February and March.

And, it must be said, the chances of it doing well are high.

The story revolves around just two characters, Billie (Anna Cheney), the blond TV soap star who has tracked down her biological mother, Anna (Chrissie Page), the 1960s radical who gave her child away after an ill-conceived affair and the shock of parents.

Both actors give excellent performances. Page’s Anna is probably the easier to grasp and her control of the twin emotions of her highly self-regulated world confronted by the roaring torrent of uncertain emotions arising from her daughter’s appearance is excellent. Billie is a somewhat more problematic character but the beautiful, blond Cheney nicely mixes the mentally banal with a scheming streak and, of course, those deep desires in any child given up for adoption to know about their real parents.

Engrossing and engaging, the players and the playwright keep your sympathies swinging and suspense building.

Well done to all and best wishes for the trip ahead – Early Worx’s Love Child should have no problems putting our local theatre on the international map.

Kryztoff Rating  4.5K

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