CityLife

Play's great Expectations

Sally Walsh plays Tess

BECOMING a mother for the first time can be a frightening experience for anyone, full of doubts and questions.

It was even more daunting for young actress Kristina Brändén Whitaker, who discovered that the young daughter she was carrying suffered from a rare chromosome disorder, which increased the likelihood of her baby being born with serious disabilities.

After having her baby and going through four years of incredibly difficult situations, Kristina decided to turn her experiences into her first ever play, Expectations, which receives its UK premiere at Contact Theatre next week. As she explains, it was a difficult, but ultimately therapeutic experience.

“It took me up to about a year ago to write the play, because it was such an emotionally charged thing,” says Brändén Whitaker.

Biggest success so far

“I always had it in mind to write a play, but it took a while because the grieving process is quite long.

“Eventually I realised that I just had to do it.”

The fantastic reception that the play has received in Kristina’s native Sweden suggests that she was right to share her experiences.

Kristina and her husband moved to Gothenburg when their daughter was born, setting up the Gothenburg English Speaking Theatre group, specialising in showcasing new writing to the cosmopolitan audiences in the city.

Now they’re bringing Expectations, their biggest success so far, over to Manchester.

Drama and humour

Despite its difficult subject matter, the play has won plaudits so far for the very human relationships it depicts. It follows two couples – one English, one Swedish – who find themselves having to make unexpected decisions when they become pregnant.

As Kristina explains, there’s plenty of drama and humour in this most natural of situations.

“It’s about the communication breakdown with couples,” she said.

“When we have grief and stress and lack of sleep, quite comical situations can occur, and I think it’s important to recognise that it’s not gloom and doom all the time.”

'Real account'

It’s this universal touch that gives Expectations a real sense of wide appeal.

 “I think it’s a very real account of what it’s like and the things that you go through – how you feel as a parent,” Kristina admits.

“When I became a mother to my disabled daughter, I was surprised at how little literature, film and advice there was out there. You long to hear from people in similar situations.

“I hope the play will affect all audiences, not just those who’ve been through similar things, but I hope that if people have been through similar situations, they’ll appreciate what we’ve done.”

Expectations is at Contact Theatre from Tuesday, October 13 to Saturday, October 17, 2009. £10, £6 concessions. Call 0161 274 0600.