REVIEW: KID SISTER By Owen Lloyd Richards at The Bread & Roses Theatre 10 – 21 March 2026

‘A beautifully realistic delve into the social care system, through a touching and gripping story of family and belonging.’ ★★★★★

‘KID SISTER’, by Owen Lloyd Richards and directed by Adam Laboda follows the story of Shell, young and fiery, as she desperately tries to reconnect with her sister, after being split up by the Welsh social care system when she was still a small child. Shell is now 21 years old and has been waiting all her life to meet her sister Natalie who is turning 18 at any moment now. Nat has been living with her adoptive parents, a well-off couple, while Shell was moved from one foster home to another, and was denied to ever meet her sister. 

Geri McNamara, who embodies Shell, is truly incredible. She is fierce, angry, and conquers the stage with her harsh sense of humour. She moves with great ease on stage, her eyes filling with stars when speaking of her sister. Her chemistry with Ceri Gifford, who plays Christine – Shell’s foster carer – is captivating and incredibly playful. This duo of ‘the brat and the junky’, as Christine jokily calls them, feels so real, and the love that they undeniably have for each other - their ‘chosen family’ - is sincerely touching. On the other hand, Natalie, played by Megan Keaveny, is the opposite of Shell. She is introverted, unsure of who she is and hesitant to meet her sister, and what that could mean for her. Besides, they are living in different worlds now: Shell has been brought up in a working-class environment while Nat has lived a much more privileged childhood, and is soon planning to leave for university. Finally, the character of Mark, played by Mark Rush, carries out impeccably his role within the play, as the social worker in charge of Natalie. 

The energy on stage was constantly electric. The characters are perfectly written, detailed, full of humanity and played out with astonishing authenticity from the four actors. Under the brilliant direction of working-class director Adam Laboda, each of the character’s emotional journey, filled with themes of grief, recovery and love, are gut-punching and heart-warming at the same time. The tension is palpable and rises all throughout the play as Owen Lloyd Richards keeps us entertained with his clever writing and multiple plot twists. His singular depiction of the flawed social care system is a true masterpiece in social realism. 

 

KID SISTER By Owen Lloyd Richards, directed by Adam Laboda

Produced by The Bread & Roses Theatre Company

BOX OFFICE https://www.breadandrosestheatre.co.uk/whats-on.html

Cast
 

Shell - Geri McNamara

Natalie - Megan Keaveny

Christine - Ceri Gifford

Mark - Mark Rush

Voiceover (Anne) - Kiri Pritchard-McLean

Creatives
 

Light & Sound Designer / Stage Manager - Valentin Burwell

Set & Costume Designer - Constance Villemot

Production Assistant - Chin Cool

Social Media - Amy Cotter

Produced by The Bread & Roses Theatre | Velenzia Spearpoint & Rebecca Pryle
 

Photography credit: Lily Barrett Photography