Christine, a renowned actress best known for her role as Dr. Susan Gabbas on Coronation Street, is set to bring her critically acclaimed play, Kin, back to the stage. The production will return to the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster before embarking on a national tour, culminating in a series of dates at Home in Manchester at the end of October.
Kin tells the story of two sisters-in-law, Kay and Steph, who meet for the first time in years at the funeral of a man who was important in both of their lives. The play explores themes of grief, loss, and the complexities of relationships, all set against the backdrop of a funeral that brings together a group of people who are struggling to come to terms with their own mortality.
Christine wrote Kin initially for a short run at the Dukes Theatre in 2022, but the play received such positive feedback that she decided to revise and extend the run. “I’m delighted that Kin is going to go out in the world,” Christine said. “It’s a bit of a thrill to be honest. It was thrilling to see it at the Duke’s when we first did it, but it was only for a few nights. As a writer, I think I can say that I’m a writer now – it’s not many shows to see how things really work and bed in and to see how people respond, so I knew I really wanted it to have another go.”
Christine credits her meeting with Hannah Ellis-Ryan of Her Productions for helping her secure the tour. “I was just picking her brains really, but when I told her about Kin, she asked to see the script and then just said ‘I’ll do it’,” Christine said. Sue Jenkins, a fellow Coronation Street star, will direct the play, and Roberta Kerr and Kerry Willison-Parry will reprise their roles as Kay and Steph, the central characters.
For Christine, writing Kin was a way to explore the experiences and perspectives of older women, who are often overlooked and underrepresented in the media. “I wanted to create a play where two older women are absolutely front and centre of this drama,” she said. “They are very funny and take the action on. They are not just on the periphery or passing through. And they definitely never talk about their age – that’s not the point. Women like me in their sixties still have things to do, lives to live and contributions to make, and yet they are so often overlooked.”
Christine believes that her acting experience has helped her shape the play, and she was motivated to write Kin to create a play that showcases older women as the main characters. “When you get a script as an actor, you get a sense when you read it what will land well and what will work,” she said. “So I did have that experience, but I still wanted to hear how what I had written would work, and the only way to do that is to hand it over to the director and the actors. It was a bit of a revelation and also slightly terrifying on that first day of rehearsal, but then I spent most of it sorting out everyone’s parking, so that kept me grounded!”
Christine hopes that Kin will continue to grow and have another life beyond her involvement. “I’d love for it to have another life, which doesn’t come from me making it happen,” she said. “It is a good vehicle for older women. Quite frankly, I can see a lot of actresses would bite your hand off to play these parts. It would also make a good amateur rights play as it’s very easy – it’s not a big cast. We’ll have to see what happens.”
In addition to Kin, Christine has also written a short play called Race For Life, which was performed at Hope Mill earlier this year. “I’ve had a lot of encouragement about that,” she said. “The plan is that when I recover from Kin, it would make a very lovely short film. I’ve also had some interest about other projects, and I’ll definitely continue writing. I feel I’ve got things I want to explore for sure.”
As Christine prepares to bring Kin back to the stage, she is excited to share the play with a wider audience. “I’m still Gadass-ing – it’s my 10th year on Coronation Street, which is immensely helpful,” she said. “I’m hoping a lot of them will come and see Kin when it gets to Home.” With its powerful storytelling, strong characters, and important themes, Kin is sure to resonate with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.