Chloe Moss is fast becoming one of Liverpool’s hottest exports; her previous work, How Love is Spelt and Christmas is Miles Away, both produced at The Bush Theatre has shown her to be a strong writer with a definite sense of voice. Her dialogue is full of spark and verve, but most crucially of all it sounds tantalisingly real, and that’s what is so exciting about her work – the world is real, the characters are real, the story is real and you’re able to sit back and watch it all unfurl.

This latest piece explores the notion of family and self-identity within it. Bobby lives with his Mum and Dad and starts skipping school to hang out with Danny, part of a local travelling community positioned down the road. Tellingly there are many parallels to be drawn between both families, even though they consider themselves to be so distinctly different from one another.  

This is not the stuff of soap opera and melodrama, significant emotional events are not ramped up and milked dry of emotion; babies miscarry and mothers die. Initially I felt if anything this piece does not make enough of these events and the piece ambles on with a lack of urgency or direction. However as it unravelled I re-assessed my view, this piece does have a very strong sense of direction it simply chooses to present situations as life does, without warning or fanfare and again it’s the reality of this observation that makes the work so strong.

This piece has a very understated power to it, but once you go searching for it it’s easy to find. Chloe has found her way home with this piece and dynamic performances, especially from Nick Moss who broods with a dynamic mix of intensity and sensitivity, really spark her script to life.

Lib Murray