Archives - July 2002

THE ANNIVERSARY
by Bill MacIlwraith

Produced by Cheree Brooks

THE PLAY

Drama, set in a south London terrace in the late sixties. Mum keeps tight control over the lives of her three builder sons Henry, Tom and Terry, running the business she took over from their late father. What she calls love for them is really a toxic, ugly thing based on selfishness and spite. It has left her children scarred: Henry stealing women's clothes from washing-lines, Terry desperate for any sign of affection and Tom full of bitter hatred. Matters come to a head at Mum's wedding anniversary, which she still uses every year as a warped celebration.

This year, though, is different. Terry's wife Karen has convinced him to emigrate to Canada with her and Tom has got engaged to Shirley, his pregnant girlfriend, and intends to move out.

Mum uses every unpleasant trick at her command to try and disrupt both plans. She uses Henry taking Terry's children home to convince them that all three have been fatally injured in a car crash, tries to shock Shirley into having a miscarriage and twists Henry's near-capture whilst stealing underwear into the threat of prison for Terry, whose car Henry was using at the time.

In the end, it is up to newcomer Shirley to stand up to her and show that not everybody can be ground down and manipulated. Taking strength from her example, first Tom and then Terry leave just as they had planned to, while Henry, uncaring as long as he can still dress up, is all that Mum has left.

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