Mumsy - ★★★☆☆ - Hot off the press, a little rough but super fresh

Mumsy is a warm and funny play, fantastically up to date, and Charlotte Hukin has ultimately produced an entertaining and touching show though perhaps with one too many ideas crammed in.

The play follows the youngest of three single mums as she goes from 2 weeks pregnant to being overdue. The primary concept of the play focuses on natural scenes with transitions backed by popular music - these changes are entertaining, and do well to cover the waits as props and costumes change hands in the small studio space. Some transitions feature movement, characters, dance, singing; in the very first scene we have an unrepeated moment of time freezing around one character; later we watch as two characters face off, spiralling like boxers before the big game. While any one idea might do well, the combination of approaches feels more like throwing spaghetti at the wall as the play jumps from naturalism to more symbolic.

Huge praise must be given to the lighting by Esther Warren and soundscape by Gareth Morris, no doubt weaved together by Charlotte Hukin, which are timed to perfection and fill the space with at every moment the right colours and changes to evoke every mood - a shock of pink, the silence of red, the warm glow of candlelight to a slow and nostalgic tune.

The strongest performance is unfortunately the hardest to hear - Lucy Dean's portrayal of young Sophie is full of emotion and plays fantastically whether off the other characters or alone. Despite being new to the stage, Becky Goddard-Hill gives a fine Rachel at odds with her daughter and her own mother but still loving them both.

With a small space and a packed audience this evening be sure to get your tickets in advance, if there are any left.