Lesley Sharp and Kate O’Flynn star in Shelagh Delaney’s taboo-breaking play A Taste Of Honey, which she wrote when she was just 19-years-old.

Offering an explosive celebration of the vulnerabilities and strengths of the female spirit in a deprived and restless world, the play tells the story of feisty teenager Jo, who takes up with a black sailor when her mother Helen runs off with a car salesman. But when art student Geoff moves in and assumes the role of surrogate parent, he misguidedly sends for Helen, causing their unconventional setup to unravel.

Directed by Bijan Sheibani, A Taste Of Honey is an exhilarating and angry depiction of working-class life in post-war Salford, which is shot through with love and humour.

Sharp, who plays Helen in the production, last appeared at the National Theatre in Harper Regan, but is better known for her on screen roles in numerous series including Scott And Bailey, The Shadow Line and Starlings. Her co-star O’Flynn, who plays Jo, was last seen at the Southbank venue in Port, with other recent credits including The Ritual Slaughter Of Gorge Mastromas at the Royal Court.