Be My Baby - Union Theatre
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
STEVE Miller directs Amanda Whittington’s Be My Baby which runs at the Union Theatre from February 9 to February 27, 2010.
Set in 1964, Be My Baby follows the fortunes of Mary Adams, aged 19 and seven months pregnant. Sent to a mother and baby home, Mary and her fellow inmates have to cope with the shame of their pregnancy and the dawning realisation they must give up their baby for adoption.
Yet despite the daily battles with a no-nonsense Matron, the girl’s effervescence shines through. As they escape into the girl-groups songs they love, a touching and funny piece of work unfolds, which is not only punctuated but defined by the songs of the day.
These include Chapel of Love (Dixie Cups), I don’t know What To Do with Myself (Dusty Springfield) and You Can’t Hurry Love (The Supremes).
Be My Baby was first produced by Soho Theatre in 1998. It returned a year later in the opening season of Soho’s new Dean Street venue and then toured nationally. It has subsequently been staged at Salisbury Playhouse, Oldham Coliseum and Hull Truck. It is also widely studied in schools and colleges across the country.
The new production is produced by Sioned Jones and choreographed by Raymond Tait.
Tickets: £12, £10 concessions – available from the box office on 0207 261 9876.
Times: Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm.
Progress continues at the Union Theatre until February 6, 2010.
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