★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Becky

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review.

This show contains strong language, homophobic language and sexual references.

Zeb & Eoin have met, kissed, fallen in love, moved in, got married... What’s next?

Breeding written by Barry McStay and directed by Matthew Iliffe is a comedy drama play exploring a gay couple navigating their way down the road to adoption. It’s a heartfelt and underdressed representation of something very real and relevant within the modern day.

Barry McStay and Daniel Nicholson star as Eoin and Zeb, two aspiring parents awaiting approval from social worker Beth (Aamira Challenger) all stand out stars within their own right. McStay had the well-needed serious tone of a man longing to be a father, whereas Nicholson added the necessary balance of a more cool, calm and collected approach. Challenger kept the whole piece tied together with her lovable take on someone normally viewed as a villain in many of these stories, this being because she had her own interwoven story to tell on top of what was already unfolding before us.

The dialogue is excellently written, not trying too hard to be funny constantly, but with lines being delivered naturally, this causing the audience to not only laugh along but sympathize, if not empathize, with the characters' trials and tribulations.

This play has the upmost importance to be seen and appreciated by the likes of the LGBTQ+ community and brings forth so many stereotypes and myths that many people without an open mind would likely be unfamiliar with. It was a refreshing take on the idea of love and the pattern we can all fall into that comes from that. Falling in love, moving in together, marriage and then babies. It was nice to see something sometimes viewed as unconventional created into something slightly more extraordinary.

With a minimal set design, this allows you to truly focus on the facial expressions and body language of our cast. Which they managed to upkeep at a very high standard. Emotions were very raw at some points and this was remarkably reflected within the cast and their reactions to one another, something that is very hard to do when the focus is entirely on them. Translations were very smooth and subtle, almost clever at times with the concept of flashbacks and time cutting.

The King's Head is the perfect venue for a show such as this, with their focus being on LGBTQ+ works which explore a full spectrum of experiences represented within that. It’s an intimate and immersive setting, further adding to the attention of the audience to the cast in front of them.

Breeding is truly a heartwarming and wholesome experience that stands strongly as a powerful piece of writing. It’s truly an exciting time to see smaller shows such as this one, representing such important topics that should always be discussed more and more.