Synopsis

A working-class neighborhood in contemporary Britain

Nightingale waits anxiously at home, his meticulous plans for his wife’s homecoming crumbling before his eyes. Chase, fresh out of prison, arrives to find her world irrevocably altered – her son living elsewhere, her husband a stranger. As the night unfolds, their attempts at reconciliation spiral into violence, sending Chase fleeing into the cold darkness. The next day, desperate to reconnect with her son Scott, Chase makes a fateful decision that threatens to shatter any hope of reunion.

Harris crafts a raw, unflinching portrait of a family teetering on the brink of collapse. Through alternating monologues, we’re plunged into the fractured psyches of Nightingale and Chase, their words a stark blend of vulnerability and aggression. The play pulses with barely contained rage and desperation, as both characters grapple with the aftermath of Chase’s incarceration and their own toxic patterns. Harris deftly explores themes of motherhood, addiction, and the cycle of abuse, painting a haunting picture of lives derailed and the steep climb towards redemption.