• Review For Us
    • In London or across the UK
    • at Edinburgh Fringe
  • List Your Show
  • Advertising
  • Musicals
  • Plays
  • Ballet & Dance
  • Previews
  • First Look
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
    • West End
    • Off-West End
    • Regional & Tours
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
  • Edinburgh Fringe 2025
    • Edinburgh Fringe News
    • Edinburgh Fringe Previews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
    • West End
    • Off-West End
    • Regional & Tours
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
  • Edinburgh Fringe 2025
    • Edinburgh Fringe News
    • Edinburgh Fringe Previews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
No Result
View All Result
Home Edinburgh Fringe 2019

Edinburgh Review: Daughterhood at Paines Plough ROUNDABOUT at Summerhall

by Ian Kirkland
August 17, 2019
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Edinburgh Review Daughterhood

Edinburgh Review Daughterhood

There are things on this earth which you just can’t help—fated things you are born into, and can never amend. Chief among these things is our family. Charley Miles’ challenging, new play Daughterhood playing at the impressive Summerhall Roundabout, explores one such eternal relationship through the strained reunion of distant sisters Pauline and Rachel.

Following their mother’s abrupt disappearance, and their father’s development of an incurable disease, Pauline steps in to care for both her father and her decade-younger sister. Rachel matures and pursues life relatively untethered, while Pauline is constrained to a life that isn’t her responsibility. This horrid mix of bitter jealousy and regret sets the stage for a visceral exploration of separation and estrangement in a severed family.

Head of this family is lonely and regretful Rachel. In portraying her, there is something marvelous in Charlotte Bate’s ferocity. She compels the audience as a lioness her herd—with force. On paper, Pauline can easily seem hysterical or one-note, yet Bate’s fervent understanding of her character casts Pauline as loyal yet acerbic, witty, fearsome, and so much more.

       

Conversely, Charlotte O’Leary plays Rachel with an exhaustive freedom that makes her both relatable and aspirational. Rachel twists where Pauline turns, and together, they writhe. They also bite and shout, but still they are sisters—even if that decade-long gap has them edging on something short of acquaintances.

Accompanying these two hostile siblings, are the bare traces of a shared past. Ranging from Rachel’s best mates, to Paulina’s ex-boyfriend, Toyin Omari-Kinch embodies this past anew in each, resounding memory. Not only is each character fresh and strikingly different, they are all rooted in reality. No one is bound to a caricature, or milked for a laugh. In fact, Toyin approaches each character with the studied precision of a professor.

You mightalso like

Cast of Othello

Shakespeare’s Globe announces cast of Othello

Cast of Trueman and the Arsonists

represent. Announces Full Cast of Trueman and the Arsonists

But, however striking the cast is alone, their force is tripled as an ensemble. They are quick, unafraid, and splayed open for observation. The commitment each shows separately is truly astounding when combined. Words fly through the air like flaming arrows—spontaneous and fierce—and the audience must brave them all to reach Daughterhood’s heartbreaking finale. But, even at the end of things, not everything has changed—for, still remain those fated things by which we label who we are: parent, sibling, or daughter.

From its masterful character development, to its candid, conscious portrayal, Daughterhood proves not only a literary masterpiece, but also a rare and poignant echo of our current age.

Main Image Credit: Rebecca Need-Menear

Ian Kirkland

Ian Kirkland

Ian (he/they) is a London-based storyteller, editor, and creative strategist with a keen and discerning eye for performance without bounds. He began writing about the performing arts in the auditoriums of high schools across the DMV area through the Cappies young critics program and has taken his love of performance to the Edinburgh Fringe, London's VAULT festival, the West End and beyond.

Related Articles

Cast of Othello
News

Shakespeare’s Globe announces cast of Othello

Cast of Trueman and the Arsonists
News

represent. Announces Full Cast of Trueman and the Arsonists

Shakespeare in the Abbey
News

Cast Announced for Shakespeare In The Abbey

The Cast of Jerusalem
News

Full Cast Announced for West End production of Jerusalem

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram

At Theatre Weekly we give theatre a new audience. You'll find our theatre news, theatre reviews and theatre interviews are written from an audience point of view. Our great value London theatre tickets will get you the best deal for your theatre tickets.
Theatre Weekly, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX
  • Join Our Community
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising

Recent News

Jello Brain Image supplied by publicist

Edinburgh Fringe Preview: Jello Brain at Olive Studio, Greenside @ George Street

Sam Buttery Mr Beaver with The Lion the Witch The Wardrobe on tour Comapany c Brinkhoff Moegenburg

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Returns to London for Summer Season at Sadler’s Wells

© 2022 Theatre Weekly

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Tickets
  • Digital Theatre
  • News
    • News
    • West End
    • Off West End
    • Regional & Tours
    • Digital
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • Edinburgh Fringe 2025
    • Edinburgh Fringe News
    • Edinburgh Fringe Previews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer

© 2022 Theatre Weekly