Single, Mother of Two

First things first, there is nothing fancy, slick or particularly innovative about this monologue from Sarah Goddard, but what it lacks in polish it makes up for with an endearing sense of truth.

The set-up is very familiar. Goddard sits at a make-up table and, between rubs of foundation and flicks of the mascara brush, pours out her heart to anyone who’ll listen.

But, rather than a faded film star or an actress backstage, what Goddard presents is a young (26 year-old) woman who, as the title suggests, is a single mother of two children struggling to find a man.

Her story is far from unique – married young, divorced, now finding life tough with two kids in tow – but there’s something deeply fragile about this young mum that makes her impossible not to like, even less to judge.

There are few surprises in terms of narrative – in fact it could probably be cut by a good 15 minutes – and some technical elements could definitely be improved (I found myself half-blinded by a spotlight reflecting in an on-stage picture frame). But this is a touching, down-to-earth and deeply human story that merits a hearing.