Adoption and the care system take centre stage in Julia Cranney's new monologue, Attachment, at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre. The play follows Mat (Paislie Reid) and her partner James as they navigate early permanence, a pathway where babies and toddlers are placed with prospective adopters who initially foster them. However, the possibility that the child might return to their birth family lingers throughout.
While the script sheds valuable light on the adoption process, Cranney's play hops through Mat's life too quickly to deliver a potent impact. When we first meet Mat, she is isolated, not keen on children, and working in a pharmacy. Then, she falls head over heels for James. Their relationship blossoms, she bonds with his daughter, and they begin planning a family of their own.
The emotions in each stage of Mat's journey are not given enough room to breathe. Major life events arrive in quick succession—it takes over half of the 70-minute running time for the adoption conversation to even begin. There is too much packed in, and we need greater clarity around Mat's backstory to build a fuller portrait of her world.
The material also feels flat because Reid's delivery stays at the same pace, with pauses landing line after line throughout. Directed by Kate Treadell, Reid circles the border of the stage's exterior as Mat tries to make sense of her thoughts. In between scenes, white confetti falls wildly from the ceiling, symbolising the messy parts of life that Mat works hard to control but cannot quite manage—a metaphor that feels heavy-handed.
Mat's own difficult childhood and her defining relationship with her nan shape the kind of mother she becomes. Cranney draws clear lines between past, present, and future. "Getting ready to adopt is like training for a marathon," Mat admits. The play shows promise in presenting a system that can spark beautiful, long-term families but also constantly tests resilience and crushes dreams. A sharper narrative would help those themes soar.
Attachment runs at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, until 13 June.
