A Taste of Honey is a landmark of British theatre, written by Shelagh Delaney when she was just 19. Set in the working-class streets of Salford in the 1950s, it tells the story of Jo, a sharp, independent teenager struggling against poverty and her unstable family life.
Jo’s mother, Helen, is brash and self-absorbed, chasing men and drink while neglecting her daughter. When Helen runs off with a new lover, Jo begins a brief romance with a Black sailor, who leaves her pregnant before shipping out. Left on her own, Jo finds support in her friend Geoffrey, a gentle gay art student who moves in to help her through the pregnancy.
But Helen eventually returns, and the fragile sense of home Jo builds with Geoffrey begins to crumble under pressure.
The play broke ground for its candid treatment of race, sexuality, and class, giving voice to people rarely seen on the stage at the time. A Taste of Honey remains powerful because it shows resilience, tenderness, and humor in the harshest of circumstances.