Simon Stephens’ Maria receives its UK premiere at 53two this September

This September, Manchester’s 53two stages the UK premiere of Maria, a powerful new production from acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens exploring love, isolation and the search for hope in a fractured, post-industrial Britain.

Set in a once thriving northern port town surviving on the remnants of its manufacturing heritage, the drama follows Maria, a pregnant 18-year-old navigating the uncertainties of adulthood while searching for connection in an increasingly digital world. As she drifts between people and places, the play offers an unflinching yet deeply compassionate portrait of social neglect, resilience and the enduring possibility of redemption.

One of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary dramatists, Stephens has built an international reputation for creating richly observed characters and emotionally resonant stories that uncover tenderness within everyday lives. Written with his distinctive social precision and timeless humanity, Maria examines how love persists even amid isolation and the creeping erosion of community.

The production is directed by Sadie Mears, making her 53two debut following her tenure as Resident Assistant Director at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, where her credits included Singin’ in the Rain, Even These Things and Road. Bringing together one of the city’s defining playwrights and an emerging directing talent, the production promises an intimate and deeply affecting evening of theatre rooted in contemporary northern life.

Maria runs at 53two from Wed 2 to Fri 11 Sep.

Check out 53Two on Instagram, and book tickets below.