Poignant drama deals with teen pregnancy

A group of young adults from the Gateway Theatre have been rehearsing hard to bring Be My Baby by Amanda Whittington to the Portadown Town Hall stage on Saturday May 20 and Sunday 21.

This is a poignant drama about attitudes to teenage pregnancy in the 60s.

Mary is 17, single and seven months pregnant. She is bundled off to St Saviour’s, a Church of England run mother and baby home.

Her concerned mother has arranged for Mary’s baby to be adopted immediately it is born.

The girls in the home find comfort in each other’s friendship but ultimately they must face their individual tragedies alone.

Set to uplifting sounds of 60s girl-group pop Be My Baby follows Mary and her fellow ‘inmates’ as they cling to youthful fantasies of romance and marriage, but instead are drawn inexorably towards outraged, powerless adulthood.

The show is produced by Robin Black, who has been working hard to bring new young people to the stage in the area, and he is both excited and delighted at how this cast has gelled.

You will laugh and shed a tear or two but also find yourself toe-tapping to the music.

The play features Jessica Peters as Mary Adams, Sarah Willis as Queenie, Rachel McGeown as Dolores, Michaela Beenett as Norma, Emma Spence as Matron and Maria Carbery as Mrs Adams.

The curtain goes up at 8pm on both evenings and tickets can be purchased in advance at Winnie’s Newsagents in Woodhouse Street, although they will also be available at the box office.

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