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We arrived at the theatre in Wakefield which was full to the brim with theatre-goers of various ages within the tiny foyer and, taking our seats, we realised it was almost a full house.

The story begins with May – a widow, played by Jacqueline Naylor - as she strongly instructs the removal man.ΜύFollowing the death of her husband, May is moving on to a new life in Spain. Throughout the performance she relives mixed memories of the past 45 years in the house - both happy and sad.

John Godber

Godber captures a series of events in family life showing a couple in their council house. Set in the 'North' it portrays a very traditional family existence with a housewife and her husband bringing in the bacon from working down the pit. In the 'memory' scenes there is the token noisy neighbour who just pops in constantly and there is a sense of community, whereas the present day scenes demonstrate how community spirit and consideration for your neighbours is sadly lost.

The son's timeline follows him growing up, getting married, having a child and his marriage break-up. It's realistic and demonstrates how children whatever their age affect their parents. The family arguments, dealing with illnesses and neighbours who like somewhat questionable music demonstrate realism in family life past and present. Godber is very clever in his intertwining portrayal of past and present life within the house.Μύ

The play is full of mixed emotions, particularly humour, and the audience is constantly amused - especially some ladies behind our seats!ΜύThe humour is very similar to The Royle Family TV series: northern and sometimes a bit sarcastic.ΜύThere's some mild swearing in places but the acting makes it seem more aggressive and at one moment you recoil at the bare-faced rudeness of the noisy neighbour. There are moments of sadness that reflect the ups and downs of all our lives. If I were to find one small criticism I would say that the Yorkshire dialect was not quite right.

There's a six character cast who all give a powerful performance and really emulate their acting skills. The son, Jack, played by Matthew Booth (who previously played Paul Marsden in Emmerdale) is very nice eye candy!

A fine show of real life with real people that most could relate too. A good night out.