Living at Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield Review
Liz White (Kathy) in Living. Photo by Mark Douet.
Written by Kirsty for Theatre and Tonic.
Disclaimer: Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review. All views are my own
Abigail Graham makes her Sheffield Theatres directorial debut with this story of family, love, loss and the changes one family sees as we move from 1969 to the present day.
The play, written by Leo Butler, opens as Kathy and Brian (played by Liz White and Kenny Doughty) move into their house on Burngreave Road at the end of the 1960s after the death of the previous tenant. We watch the married couple navigate the birth of their children, Michael (played by Samuel Creasey) and Rebecca (played by Abby Vicky-Russell), and the dynamics of their marriage as the cultural issues of the eras force Kathy back to work to provide for her family. In less capable hands, the constant move through the years could be clumsy; however, with Abigail’s artful direction, it seems effortless. Sarah Beaton’s set and costume design was beautiful and simple yet completely seamless. Both White and Doughty were exceptional throughout, but White was undoubtedly perfect in her role.
Not only do we see the relationship between Kathy and Brian change through key cultural moments and ill health, but we also meet Sean and June (played by Andrew Macklin and Michelle Bonnard), who serve as the perfect juxtaposition to Kathy and Brian’s seemingly perfect family life. Both relationships move the story forward and they are constants in each other’s lives right up to the end.
Michael and Rebecca also struggle to find their place in the world, with challenging topics such as addiction, divorce and coming to terms with not being comfortable with sticking to the social norms. Michael’s story in particular was incredibly emotional and felt incredibly relevant by the end of the story. The relationship between Rebecca and Kathy was complex and full of one sided resentment. Just as we see the General Strike and Miner’s Strike through Brian’s eyes, we see the effects of the financial crash of 2008 through Michael’s life crashing down.
Act 2 was so emotional and heartbreaking, where we see Kathy coming to terms with the loss of Brian and finding a new relationship with Raj (played by Harki Bhambra) and struggling to regain and retain her relationship with her children. Liz White was masterful throughout, but I was emotionally wrecked watching Kathy descend into old age.
Dan Light’s video design aided the passage of time, and was used so effectively in Act 2 where time started to lose meaning to Kathy and the confusion she was feeling was reflected in the video design.
There was a full circle moment at the end of the piece, with a new family moving into the house to start their life with their new family.
Sheffield is at the heart of the piece, and it was clear that Leo Butler took a lot of time to ensure the writing was accurate, with references throughout to locations and events in the city.
Living was an emotional rollercoaster and felt like a pertinent piece of theatre for the world we have all lived in.
Plays until 4 April 2026
★★★★★
