Staging (A Taste of Honey)

A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney is a groundbreaking play from the 1950s that delves into themes such as class, sexuality, identity, and family. Set in a working-class district in Manchester, the play follows the lives of a teenage girl, Jo, and her estranged, alcoholic mother, Helen, as they navigate relationships and their personal struggles. The play’s raw emotional content, social realism, and focus on complex characters offer unique challenges for staging. Understanding how to bring these elements to life through staging is essential in conveying the play’s powerful messages.

Understanding the Themes and Tone

Before staging A Taste of Honey, it’s vital to grasp the central themes and tone of the play. These include:

• Class and Social Issues: The play highlights the challenges of working-class life in post-war Britain, particularly through the lens of poverty and social isolation. Jo and Helen struggle to make ends meet, and their lives are shaped by their economic and social circumstances. The stage should reflect the limitations of their world, emphasising their confinement and the pressures they face.
• Family and Relationships: The strained relationship between Jo and her mother, Helen, is one of the central conflicts in the play. Jo seeks independence and love, while Helen is more concerned with her own desires. The dynamic between them should be portrayed through body language, positioning, and tone of voice.
• Identity and Sexuality: Themes of identity and sexual liberation (in the context of the 1950s) should be handled sensitively, and staging should reflect the complex emotional and societal implications of these relationships.
• The Changing Times: The play was written in 1958, during a period of significant social change in Britain. The use of social realism; showing ordinary people grappling with real problems, was innovative at the time. The atmosphere of post-war Britain and the changing role of women should be considered in your staging choices.

Characterisation and Relationships

The relationships in A Taste of Honey are fraught with tension, love, and conflict. The characters’ physical positioning and interactions will help bring their personalities and struggles to life.

• Jo: Jo is a rebellious, headstrong teenager who yearns for love and independence. Her relationship with her mother, Helen, is characterised by conflict, but also by moments of tenderness. When staging Jo, her body language can be youthful and energetic, perhaps with a sense of frustration. She is trying to break free from her mother’s control but is also looking for affection and security. As Jo interacts with others, like Geoffrey or Peter, her posture and physicality should reflect the vulnerability and longing she feels, despite her outward toughness.
• Helen: Helen, Jo’s mother, is self-centred and desperate for escape from her own unhappiness. As a character, she is emotionally distant and somewhat selfish, yet she also seeks love and freedom. Her body language should be closed off and defensive, perhaps with her back often turned to Jo, symbolising the emotional distance between them. In contrast to Jo, Helen could be staged as more poised, possibly showing a cold or indifferent posture. Her movements should be deliberate, almost calculated, reflecting her desire to assert control over her circumstances.
• Geoffrey: Geoffrey, Jo’s friend and later her protector, represents a contrast to the other characters. He is gentle, caring, and willing to take on a more nurturing role, even though he’s an outsider. His movements should be calm and unhurried, with an open body language that contrasts with Jo and Helen’s more defensive postures. As a gay man in a conservative society, Geoffrey’s physicality might also reflect some wariness or hesitation, depending on how the character is interpreted in the context of the time.
• Peter: Peter, Helen’s boyfriend, is charming yet immature. His relationship with Helen is central to her journey and self-discovery. He should be staged with an energetic and somewhat careless physicality, showing his lack of commitment and emotional depth. As a character, Peter can be positioned in scenes to contrast with Geoffrey, with more erratic movements and postures to highlight the difference in his relationship with Helen.

Set Design and Setting

The setting of A Taste of Honey is crucial in establishing the mood and reflecting the characters’ emotional worlds. The play takes place mainly in a flat shared by Jo and her mother, which should reflect their working-class background.

• Jo and Helen’s Flat: The flat is a small, dreary, and unkempt space that should be reflected in the set design. A sparse, functional set will emphasise the limitations and economic hardship the characters face. The flat could feature worn-out furniture, a small kitchen area, perhaps a couch or a table, and basic household items. The environment should feel confining, with no real sense of escape for the characters.
• The Use of Space: The flat is central to the play, and its cramped nature can be emphasised through the use of minimal staging. The audience should feel that the characters are trapped in their environment, with limited space to move. Consider using partitioned areas or changing levels to symbolise the emotional and physical barriers between Jo and Helen. The characters should frequently move within the confined space to show how their relationships are restricted.
• Symbolism: The flat itself can serve as a metaphor for Jo and Helen’s emotional confinement. Perhaps a small window can be included to show a glimpse of the outside world; further emphasising the characters’ isolation. This can be particularly effective in scenes where Jo yearns for escape or freedom.
• Other Locations: If the play shifts to other locations, such as the street outside the flat or other places Jo visits, these can be signified with minimal props or changes in lighting. For example, the contrast between the flat and the street could be marked by a change in the atmosphere through lighting and sound.

Lighting and Sound

Lighting and sound are essential in creating the atmosphere of A Taste of Honey and highlighting the changing emotional tone of the play.

• Lighting: The lighting should reflect the mood of each scene. In the flat, you may want to use warm, dim lighting to create a sense of intimacy, but also of claustrophobia and tension. As the mood shifts to moments of anger or confrontation, the lighting could become harsher and colder, adding to the emotional weight.
  • For scenes where Jo dreams of a better life or when she connects with Geoffrey, the lighting could be softer, symbolising hope or the brief moments of escape. For moments of conflict, particularly between Jo and Helen, the lighting could be sharper, with more stark contrasts between light and shadow to emphasise the tension between them.
• Sound: The use of sound should underline the play’s working-class setting and emotional beats. Background noises, like street sounds, or even music that reflects the era, can help establish the atmosphere of the time and place.

Movement and Blocking

The physical positioning of characters on stage should reflect the emotional dynamics between them. Blocking should be used to symbolise the characters' relationships, and the way they navigate their space is key to the overall staging.

• Proximity: The distance between Jo and Helen is central to their strained relationship. In moments of conflict, they may be positioned at opposite sides of the stage, representing emotional distance. In more intimate moments, such as when Jo reveals her fears or desires, they may come closer, but this closeness should always feel fragile, as if their relationship is on the verge of breaking down.
• Jo’s Independence: As Jo seeks her independence, her physical movements can reflect this. She may stand or sit taller as she attempts to assert herself, particularly when she is interacting with Geoffrey or Peter. Her movements should be more deliberate and independent when she is not under the control of her mother.
• Helen’s Control: Helen’s physicality should reflect her more controlling nature. She may sit or stand in a more poised manner, with a sense of entitlement, reflecting her desire to dominate Jo. She may also move with purpose when dealing with Jo, showing a maternal, yet domineering, presence.

Pacing and Timing

The pacing of A Taste of Honey is key to its emotional impact. The play moves between moments of tension and quieter, reflective scenes, and the pacing should reflect these shifts.

• Tension: Scenes of confrontation, particularly between Jo and Helen, should be paced slowly to allow the tension to build. Long pauses between lines can heighten the emotional weight of the moment, forcing the audience to feel the discomfort between the characters.
• Moments of Tenderness: In contrast, moments between Jo and Geoffrey, or Jo’s moments of reflection, can be slower, allowing the emotional vulnerability to come through. These moments should feel almost dreamlike or contemplative, reflecting Jo’s search for meaning and connection.

The Final Scene

The final scene of A Taste of Honey carries the weight of the play’s emotional journey. It should be staged with care, as Jo and Helen come to terms with their circumstances.

• Lighting and Atmosphere: The lighting could be subdued or softer, indicating the conclusion of the journey. Jo’s decision to embrace her pregnancy and her future should be depicted through a change in her body language; perhaps standing taller or facing forward with a sense of determination.
• Symbolism: The stage should reflect Jo’s journey. If the flat has been a symbol of emotional confinement, the final scene could symbolise her attempts to escape or confront her future. The characters’ positions on stage will be key to showing where they are emotionally at the play’s conclusion.

Conclusion

Staging A Taste of Honey requires a deep understanding of its characters, themes, and the social context in which it was written. By focusing on the relationships between the characters, utilising minimal yet effective set design, and using lighting and sound to amplify the emotional atmosphere, you can bring this powerful play to life.