Roots at The Royal Exchange until 1st March

The Royal Exchange closes its season with a major revival of Arnold Wesker's classic story of self-discovery.

Written in 1957 and emerging at a time of seismic upheaval in British theatre, Roots stands alongside other cutting-edge "kitchen sink" dramas such as John Osbourne's Look Back in Anger. Fifty years later, the play remains a revolutionary piece of theatre which bubbles over with humour, imagination and compassion for its characters.

A story of a young woman's self-discovery, the play is set in the Norfolk countryside of the 1950's. The action revolves around Beatie (Claire Brown), who comes home from London to visit her family.

She has fallen in love with Ronnie and passionately believes she has escaped her rural roots through the love and education of a good man. While she counts down the two weeks until he visits, she cooks, cleans, bathes and teaches her mother (played by Denise Black) about high culture. As the whole family gathers to awaait Ronnie's arrival, Beatie faces her day of reckoning.

Denise Black is well known after playing Denise Osbourne in Coronation Street and Hazel in Mancunian drama Queer as Folk. She has previously appeared at the Royal Exchange in productions of Yerma and Mrs Warren's Profession. Claire Brown most recently appeared at the Royal Exchange in Jackie Kay's plays Adoption Papers and Strawgirl.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Royal Exchange website.