Lucy Barton wakes after an operation to discover – much to her surprise – her mother at the foot of her bed. They haven’t seen each other in years. During their days-long visit, Lucy contemplates her desperate rural childhood, her adult life in New York, and the state of her relationships as both a daughter and a mother.

Director's Word

I’m of the belief that plays find you when you need them. After I first read My Name is Lucy Barton, I felt a presence with me. It was Lucy. Waiting quietly. Patiently. But also with an offer. With a promise that she had something to impart to me if I went on this journey with her. I picked up the script and read it again. Then I took Lucy’s hand and I said yes.

Lucy has the power to change people. She may not know it, but she does. She approaches life with an open-heart, and a want to believe the good in people. She is many things – innocent, wise, loving, but also flawed. She is human. And by being all these things, she is an ordinary person who reminds us that the ordinary can be extraordinary.

Lucy writes, she shares stories, because she wants to make others feel less alone. I can’t think of a more fitting place to come together to hear Lucy’s story than the theatre – a place of connection where you can look at those onstage and those around you and say “You too? I thought it was just me.”

It’s been an honour and a privilege to work with this incredible team of artists to bring this show to the stage. Thank you for being here with us.

Emma Welham, Director