I didn't know anything at all about the play in advance, other than that it has had reviews.
It follows the progress of Emma (or Nina, or Sarah, or Lucy), (Lisa Dwyer Hogg) as she checks herself into a clinic for treatment for her drug and alcohol abuse.
It's fairly intense, with scenes giving a physical presence to the hallucinations which Emma experiences as she starts to withdraw.
It's not a cheerful or optimistic play - Emma does make progress, but it's clear that her sobriety and survival will always be a work in progress and not a finished thing, and there are some very painful scenes, particularly at the end of the play.
It feels like a very convincing look at addiction and treatment, and the small victories and many failures involved.
Lisa Dwyer Hogg is protagonist Emma, and does an excellent job, her character is not always likeable, in fact at times she is downright nasty, but she is also deeply vulnerable and often engaging.
It's not a upbeat play, but it is worth seeing.(although I suspect that if you have experience of alcoholism or addition it may cut rather too close to the bone)
On tour until 25th November.
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