Ballad Lines

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Playing until 21st March 2026

Book tickets

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

{PR Gifted ticket}

Starting a new life in a new flat with her girlfriend, Sarah (Frances McNamee) opens a box passed on to her from her late aunt Betty (Rebecca Trehearn) and remembers the songs they used to sing together, ballads that have been passed down through generations of women. Each one of them had their own tale to tell, forced into meeting the expectations thrust upon them by the society of their time and their rebellion against the tides of the current.

Not following a linear chronological story, Finn Anderson and Tania Azevedo’s book jumps forward and backward in time to depict the stories of two women: Cait (Kirsty Findlay), wife of a vicar, and bore a child she does not want, and Jean (Yna Tresvalles), who became pregnant after a wild night with a sailor and was desperate to hold on to the baby and yearned to be free from everything that tried to tie her down. Despite this constant switching of time periods, the book remains grounded and the characters instantaneously recognisable through Betty’s narration and dedicated actors with distinct emotions and motivations. The women’s stories through the ages add layers of complexity to Ballad Lines, and dimensions to Sarah’s story with her partner, Alix (Sydney Sainté).

Even though Cait, Jean and Sarah’s stories could not be more different on the surface, they all tell the struggles of womanhood, cultural expectations and the pressure of motherhood. This is where the complementarity of the writing and music really shine. Through these joint ballads that get passed, each has a different take to the songs and insert their own perspectives into the rhythm and lyrics.

“Unexpected Visitor” through the mouths of Cait and Jean convey very different feelings. While Cait uses the lyrics unwanted visitor in this song to describe her baby, Jean’s take is far more joyous and describes her baby as an unexpected visitor instead. This is not only an excellent way to portray differences of the women’s mindset, but also a true reflection of the nature of ballads, they are changed and adapted as they are passed down and spread by people. What one takes away from the songs is completely dependent on the person’s focus. These songs are never meant to be a single story, but rather finding an element within them that you resonate with. This is why ballads have endured generations.

There is no end to the talents in this show. Amongst this marvel of an ensemble, McNamee, Trehearn and Findlay deserve standout mentions for their vocal and acting prowess. There is steadiness in their depictions of each musical number. Findlay shows the timidness of Cait, how troubled she is by her pregnancy and her desperation for help. Trehearn brings out the Aunt Betty’s passion for her family history and passing on stories through ballads, the joy she had when she sang with her niece and that a sense of regret in her voice with what she said to Sarah in the past. McNamee goes through an evolution during the show, from somebody who knows exactly what she wants to doubting her own decisions before she accepting her past and who she had become.

The set designed by TK Hay creates an adaptable space that seems to lend itself to all the time points throughout history, and with Azevedo’s direction and Tinovimbanashee Sibanda’s choreography, none of the scenes ever seem out of place no matter the time period. In addition, the ceiling of the set takes the shape a wooden ship's hull, a very creative addition to the stage, complementing the message of an ever-changing ballad marching forward with the flow of time.  

A simultaneously powerful and sensitive story of womanhood throughout the ages, and just like a ballad, this musical will continue to evolve and pass into legend.   

Creatives

Co-Creator: Finn Anderson, Tania Azevedo

Composer/Lyricist: Finn Anderson

Director: Tania Azevedo

Music Director: Shonagh Murray

Choreographer: Tinovimbanashe Sibanda

Set Designer: TK Hay

Lighting Designer: Simon Wilkinson

Sound Designer: Andy Johnson

Costume Designer: Carly Brownbridge