Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey is a realistic portrayal of poverty and working class life in England in the 1950's. These 'kitchen sink' plays were popular with an impoverished nation that was still recovering, economically and psychologically, from both WW2 and the fracture of the British Empire.

Delaney's play depicts the gritty life of Jo and Helen, a daughter and mother living in Salford, Manchester. Helen is an alcoholic and a prostitute, barely providing for herself and her daughter through her affairs with a number of 'fancy men'.

Jo is a seventeen year old, who drops out of school at the beginning of the play. She alternately displays signs of weathered wisdom and extreme naivety through the drama.

The other characters are Jimmie, a sailor, who impregnates Jo; Peter, Helen's lover and husband for a time; and Geof, Jo's homosexual friend and flatmate during Helen's absence.

Delaney wrote this play at age 18 in an effort to address social issues not usually discussed in popular culture. Themes include poverty, racism, homophobia, broken homes, delinquency and motherhood.

	Created by Evan Barton over 5 years ago

These slides provide a complete overview of the events of Shelagh Delaney's 1958 play, A Taste of Honey. Also contained are embedded links to videos which will provide the student with a better understanding.