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Overview
Synopsis
Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey tells the story of Jo, a sharp-tongued 17-year-old living in Salford with her neglectful mother, Helen. Their tense relationship is tested further when Helen leaves Jo to marry her wealthy boyfriend, Peter. Left alone, Jo falls in love with Jimmy, a young Black sailor, but he soon departs, leaving her pregnant and uncertain about her future.
Jo finds stability with Geoffrey, a kind art student who becomes her friend and caretaker during her pregnancy. However, when Helen’s marriage falls apart, she returns and drives Geoffrey away, resuming her control over Jo. The play ends ambiguously, as Jo faces motherhood with only her unreliable mother by her side, reflecting themes of love, neglect, and survival in a harsh world.
Show Information
- Book
- Shelagh Delaney
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1958
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- Settings
- Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- Salford, Northern England, 1950s
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult Characters
Context
Shelagh Delaney wrote A Taste of Honey in 1958 when she was just 19 years old, inspired by her own experiences growing up in Salford, a working-class city in the north of England. At the time, British theatre was experiencing a shift with the rise of the “kitchen sink” dramas, which brought working-class life, social issues, and unpolished realism to the stage. Delaney’s play stood out because it gave a fresh, authentic voice to marginalized characters often overlooked in theatre: a
to read the context for A Taste of Honey and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
A Taste of Honey is set in the industrial city of Salford, near Manchester, and centers on the turbulent relationship between a teenage girl, Jo, and her mother, Helen. The play opens with Helen and Jo moving into a shabby rented flat. Helen is a hard-drinking, fun-loving woman in her forties who has lived a chaotic life of fleeting romances. Jo, seventeen, is sharp-witted and independent, often clashing with her mother’s careless attitude. Their conversations reveal a mixture of affection
to read the plot for A Taste of Honey and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
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Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
THEMES
Family and Neglect
The relationship
to read about the themes, symbols and motifs from A Taste of Honey and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher