ACCORDING to the programme, My Mother Said I Never Should is the most widely performed play ever written by a woman, having now been translated or produced in 31 countries from Japan to Peru.

Written in 1985 by playwright Charlotte Keatley, it was named by the National Theatre as one of the significant plays of the 20th century. But it’s hard to see why.

The stage revival by critically-acclaimed UK touring company London Classic Theatre is making its debut at the Theatre Royal in Bath until to Saturday, May 25. 

When the curtain went down on the first act, I was left confused by the constant switching between time periods, and completely baffled by the relevance of the Wasteground scenes to the rest of the play.

They appear to be completely superfluous to the mother-daughter relationships between the four main characters and the linkage between four generations of women from the same family.

Set in Manchester, Oldham and London, My Mother Said I Never Should focuses on each of the women as they confront the most significant moments of their lives.

Newcomer Rebecca Birch plays Rosie Metcalfe, while the role of Doris Partington is played by Judith Paris, and Lisa Burrows appears as Margaret Bradley. Completing the cast is Kathryn Ritchie as Jackie Metcalfe, whose role creates most of the tragedy in the play.

The plot hinges on the relationships and interaction between Doris, Margaret and Rosie, which binds together the characters and influences the action that follows.

There were superb performances from all four actors, particularly Kathryn Ritchie, and the play is directed by Michael Cabot, the founder and Artistic Director of LCT.

LCT first produced My Mother Said I Never Should in 2000 to critical acclaim. This revival brings the play to life for a new generation but I’m not entirely sure whether it is worth it. You certainly need to pay attention at all times.