I had a radio play experience for some of the performance I attended, thanks to characters sitting down (a reasonable thing to do, to be fair, in a front room when in conversation) on a stage with no raised platform and a seating area with no rake at all. No amount of neck straining or shifting position, short of levitating off one’s seat and therefore winding up the people behind me, was going to make any difference. This is not a criticism of the venue – the seats were, I thought, laid out very well and were more comfortable than most playhouses, including those in the West End. A further caveat: it was good to be in a full house in a studio space on a Saturday evening, and that there were plenty of eager beavers keen to secure the front rows in a venue with unallocated seating. Still, I can only review what I saw on the night, and not being able to see it all created a distancing effect, despite an attempt at creating a living room ambience, that could have been easily remedied merely by characters standing up.
A reference to Pope Francis places the setting of the play sometime during his popery (2013 to 2025), and indicative of ubiquity of mobile telephony and instant messaging, it naturally follows that Emma (Hannah Redfern) is displeased with her older sister, known only as ‘The Artist’ (Alabama Swann) – even if the play doesn’t spend very long exploring her art – for not replying to her various messages over the course of the previous evening. That isn’t the only reason for her taking umbrage, though the narrative leap from wanting to know why the Artist couldn’t even stretch to an emoji in reply to a WhatsApp message (or two, or ten, or more) to a preach-a-thon about why, according to Emma, abortion is murder needed more context, or at least some context in the first place. Without it, it was one of those moments when I was laughing (inwardly) at something very, very unfunny – a crude and rude pro-life argument yelled in a horrid, uncivilised manner.
Other emotionally intense moments were more justified – for instance, after the Artist starts a relationship with Sophie (Andi Bickers), the latter was quite right to react with astonishment at the revelation that (spoiler alert) bedroom activity was still going on elsewhere. This was one of those plays, however, that explored a lot of themes in relatively quick succession – the indisposition of a cast member leading to some fairly last-minute revisions may have compounded this. I was also left, partly thanks to an abrupt ending leaving a good number of narrative ends untied, with more questions than answers. These are, by and large, relatable characters, and some of the challenges that queer (the term used by the production) relationships face are laid bare in a show that prefers to show rather than tell. Sometimes less is more, and a deeper exploration of fewer themes would have made for a more engaging experience.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Our Mothers’ Daughters by Sarah Tara Ray, follows three young women navigating friendship, identity, and the pressures of adulthood. At its centre is a tight-knit yet contrasting trio: a promising artist, an insecure jester, and an aspiring homemaker. As their lives begin to diverge—through an engagement, the exploration of queerness, and an unexpected pregnancy—their bond is tested in profound ways.
When the Artist’s pro-life sister challenges her decision to consider an abortion, a deeply personal conflict unfolds, drawing in family and friends alike. At the same time, the Artist navigates her first queer relationship, while tensions rise between her closest friends as their futures take different paths.
Blending sharp humour with emotional depth, the play explores love, feminism, sexuality, and choice, offering a candid and compassionate portrayal of women supporting one another through change. Placing women centre stage, Our Mothers’ Daughters captures both the harsh and the hilarious edges of the female experience.
CAST in order of appearance
The Artist – Alabama Swann
Billy – Sarah Tara Ray
Kat – Natasha Mula
Sophie – Andi Bickers
Emma – Hannah Redfern
Mum – Eleanor Brunsdon
CREATIVES
Director – Hayley-Rose
Writer – Sarah Tara Ray
Producer – Hannah Redfern
Assistant Producer – Amelia Fenner
Designer / Technician / Stage Manager – Rowe Payne
Intimacy Director – Sophie Alibert
Costume Designer – Nellie Nevelock-Smith
Sound Design – Ellen Pallant
OUR MOTHERS’ DAUGHTERS
Riverside Studios
8 and 9 August 2026
