Adoption and the care system are at the emotional centre of Julia Cranney’s new monologue. There are hoops to jump through, questions that require you to crack your soul open and hope bubbling beneath it all. Mat (Paislie Reid) and her partner, James, are drawn into early permanence, a pathway in which babies and toddlers are placed with prospective adopters who initially foster them. There is, however, always the possibility that the child could return to their birth family.
The script valuably sheds light on that process but Cranney’s play hops through Mat’s life too quickly to have a potent impact. When we meet her she is isolated, not keen on kids and working in a pharmacy. Then, she falls head over heels for James. Soon their relationship is flourishing, she has bonded with his daughter and they are making plans to start a family of their own.
The emotions in each stage of Mat’s journey are not given enough room to breathe. Major life events arrive in quick succession – it takes over half the 70-minute running time for the adoption conversation to even begin – but there is too much packed in and we need greater clarity around Mat’s backstory to help build a portrait of her world.
The material also feels flat because Reid’s delivery stays at the same pace, with pauses landing line after line throughout. Directed by Kate Treadell, she circles the border of the stage’s exterior as Mat tries to make sense of her thoughts. In between the scenes, white confetti falls wildly from the ceiling, showing the messy parts of life that she works hard to control, but can’t quite manage. It’s a metaphor that feels heavy-handed.
Mat’s own difficult childhood and the defining relationship with her nan shape the kind of mother she grows into, and Cranney draws clear lines between past, present and future. “Getting ready to adopt is like training for a marathon,” Mat admits. The play shows promise in presenting a system that can spark beautiful, long-term families, but also constantly tests resilience and crushes dreams. A sharper narrative would help those themes fly.