Adoption is a complex process that can sometimes take a few years to complete. For same-sex couples, additional hurdles are faced. Although I have no experience with the subject first-hand.  Breeding explains clearly the stages that require completion before couples face the decision board.

Zeb (Dan Nicholson) and Eoin (Barry McStay) meet in a club and fall in love. The relationship takes its natural course and after they marry Eoin tells Zeb he would like to have a family. Zeb is resistant initially but agrees and the couple begin the process.

Beth (Nemide May) is the assigned Southwark Council caseworker to guide and navigate the couple through the gruelling paperwork and course that need to be completed before the couple can even be considered to be put in front of tge decision board.

The couples relationship is laid bare during the process and all innermost desires or secrets come to the surface. We also learn about Beth’s relationship and her struggle to become a parent. The relationship lines become blurred in places which aren’t an ideal situation.

The stage is striking with bright coloured blocks resembling toddler’s building blocks which display the pages from the adoption workbook that the couple are required to fill in for the agency. Which offers an insight into the arduous paperwork they had to face.

Although the play offers an insight into adoption. Some of the data breaches which took place didn’t sit comfortably with me and I am not sure my suspension for disbelief was strong enough to allow me to believe the storyline conclusion that was presented.

However, I fully support all couples who want to give a child the chance to have the loving childhood and family that they deserve. The invasive process of becoming adoptive parents is certainly not for the fainthearted and without them, the world would be worse off.

For more information on Breeding and future productions at The King’s Head Theatre please check out the link below.

Four Stars

https://kingsheadtheatre.com/

https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/breeding

Breeding by Barry McStay

Directed by Tom Ratcliffe

Produced by Gabriella Sills Productions & Seabright Live

Associate Producer – Mark Gatiss