Claire Monnelly is the writer and performer of this intense, one-woman drama, chronicling the misadventures of young mother Charlie in the 24 hours leading up to a meeting about regaining custody of her baby. The performance is riveting, and the character of Charlie is believably flawed and endearingly sympathetic. It’s a structurally complex narrative, and at times it can be a little choppy, as the script cuts from anecdote to flashback to dialogue in quick succession. I would have liked a little more variation in tone – there’s plenty of scope for some black humour there – but neither script nor delivery steers into the laughs, keeping things straight, serious and intense. But a surprisingly honest and uplifting ending leaves things on a well-deserved high.

Assembly Showcatcher (Online), on demand.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andy Leask]