Title: Guiding star
Description: First performed at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre in 1998, 'Guiding Star' is a funny and powerfully authentic portrait of a Liverpudlian family. At its centre is Terry and his unapproachable silence; he and his sons were Laurence and Liam were at the Hillsborough disaster. All three survived, but 9 years later he is still struggling to cope with what he saw. His wife can't bear how remote he has become, and their marriage is suffering. Next door, Marni and her husband have a son in hospital with cystic fibrosis. For some, life goes on: the quiet tragedy is lifted by the comic sparring between Laurence and his Ricki Lake-loving girlfriend. Terry's younger son Liam is also looking for a relationship, though his dad might not be pleased about where he's looking.