★★★★☆
This short, sweet, painful play by Ella Carmen Greenhill is written from the heart and the gut. A tough, tender portrayal of the relationship between a young woman and her brother, who has autism, it draws on Greenhill’s family experiences.
It’s unflashy, and in terms of dramatic form a little unadventurous, with occasional patches of self-conscious dialogue. Yet its clear-eyed, unflinching honesty, humour and courage make it poignant, even humbling, to watch. And Adam Quayle’s production, with delicate performances from Vanessa Schofield and Jamie Samuel, is gently harrowing.
Rose (Schofield) is big sister to Michael (Samuel). She’s enjoying student life in Edinburgh when their mother is diagnosed with leukaemia. Suddenly she’s back in Manchester, struggling to cope with bereavement while caring for Michael who,