High Tea: A new one act play

Set against the weight of Irish family history. Blood ties and boundaries, of what we inherit and of the cost of putting land before family. High Tea is a one act play, written by Victoria Fradgley. Set against the weight of Irish family history, the play explores how love curdles into resentment, how our memory can betray us, and whether reconciliation is possible when the past refuses to stay buried. Land is the fault line that has shaped this family’s history—fought over, bled for, and worshipped above all else. With both parents gone, two estranged sisters are forced to face each other once more, drawn back by the land that bound them and broke them. As they battle over ownership, decades of silence give way to long-buried secrets and inherited wounds. This is a story of blood ties and boundaries, of what we inherit, and of the cost of putting land before family. Rosalind Scanlon, Cultural Director of the ICC, Hammersmith states: ‘The writing is powerful, dynamic, and theatrically compelling. We were particularly struck by the play’s exploration of blood ties, disputes over home and land, and the strength and complexity of Irish women’s voices.’