New Year is a time of joy, but it can also be a difficult time for those who have experienced or are experiencing loss. Stagewright Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Exposed, Laura Tellwright’s debut one-woman show directed by Faye Caddick, at The Hope Street Theatre in Liverpool, explores the often-unspoken experiences that surround loss and grief and the deeply personal vulnerability that inevitably follows for so many people.
When thirty-something Charlotte suddenly loses her dad to cancer, her whole life dramatically changes. Charlotte invites an audience to observe her journey through grief, heartache, crippling mental health, finding joy, and sharing secrets she’ll take to the grave, in this powerful, painful but truthful comedic monodrama that exposes grief for what it really is.
Tellwright elaborates that the play explores love, death, and everything in-between as her character navigates through grief and having to deal with loss, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. She is keen to add though that as in real life, there are moments of joy and laughter underpinning the journey which provide a layer of hope amidst the wide range of other emotions being experienced.
Caddick adds that grief is universal and something we are all going to experience at some point in our life. Noting that there’s no ‘one size fits all’ as grief manifests in different ways, she reiterates that by exposing grief for what it is and challenging the existing narrative around, the process may just become that little bit easier for someone who has seen the production.
Both Tellwright and Caddick have recent experience of paternal loss and have adopted a self-care approach to the rehearsal process which has proven cathartic in helping them identify, develop, and express their own feelings of grief in an honest way, whilst not being afraid to step back when it becomes too raw.
I lost my own father several years ago and can recall clearly how people are often fearful of grief, and in particular what to say – or not say – to someone experiencing loss, which can often see people literally crossing the road to avoid that conversation which only adds further to the isolation of the person affected, when sometimes all that is required is an acknowledgement and a very simple, ‘how are you?’
This isn’t a production claiming to have all the answers. What it does is raise awareness of a topic that will touch all of us at some point in our lives, the physical and emotional symptoms that can arise, and how we can normalise the experience and talk about it.
Exposed performs at The Hope Street Theatre, Liverpool from Thursday 6th to Saturday 8th February 2025, with performances starting at 7.30pm. Tickets available at Exposed – The Hope Street Theatre
*Please note that there is an Age Restriction of 16+ in place and the play contains sensitive scenes that some may find difficult including references of death, suicide, drugs and sexual references, as well as flashing lights and loud noises.