Skirmishes by Catherine Hayes

"an astonishing play, full of insight, humanity and gallows humour"

Skirmishes is a play set in the bedroom of a senile, incontinent, near-comatose old woman who lies hours from death. She is looked after by her two grown-up daughters; the eldest, Jean (Gemma Colton), has stayed at home throughout her mother's (Jaki Newman) illness, bearing the brunt of all the work, whilst her sister, Rita (Jess Ricketts), who left home years ago, returns only now in the last few days of their mother's life. The play centres around the antagonism and resentment and not least of all the love, which has been part of their lives over the years.

First published in 1982, this play was originally broadcast on ITV in that year as part of 'ITV Playhouse'.

Catherine Hayes is possibly better known for her screenwriting than for her plays. Starting in the 1980s she wrote for the soap opera 'Brookside'; and since then has written several episodes of 'Coronation Street', 'Eastenders' and 'Emmerdale' to name a few. Catherine was awarded a 1982 London Critics' Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Awards) for 'Skirmishes'.

This show is sponsored by WPA Healthcare (https://www.wpa.org.uk/gemmaupham) and Limitless Tuition (https://www.limitlesstuition.com/)