The Memory of Water

Presented by UCL Drama Society

Shelagh Stephenson’s The Memory of Water is a darkly comic family drama centred around three sisters: Mary, Teresa, and Catherine, who return to their childhood home following the death of their mother, Vi. As they prepare for the funeral, old memories, resentments, and family secrets begin to surface, often erupting into ridiculous spats.

At the heart of the play is an exploration of grief and the different ways in which we experience it. Each of the sisters occupy a different point along the trajectory of processing grief, revealing the non-linear quality of mourning. Their responses to Vi’s death are shaped not only by their relationship with their mother, but by the people they have become since leaving their childhood home.

This is a play of dramatic extremes: feelings of profound emptiness sit alongside overwhelming fullness - laughter and anger just moments apart.

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