What happens when saying yes to your family means putting your own life on hold? That’s the question at the heart of BAIRNS, Annie Davison’s hilarious and heartfelt one-woman dramedy, which arrives at Northern Stage’s Stage 3 on Wednesday 30th September.
Lottie has just made the mother of all promises. In the middle of her own chaotic life, she has impulsively agreed to become a surrogate for her sister, Freya, and brother-in-law, Rhuaridh. Now she needs to grow up – and fast.
As Lottie navigates pregnancy, sisterhood and the often bewildering cult of motherhood, BAIRNS takes an honest and sharply funny look at the complicated territory between selflessness and selfishness.
Written and performed by Annie, the 60-minute production premiered at the Pleasance during the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe, where it was met with critical acclaim. The Scotsman named Annie one of its Rising Stars of the Fringe, praising the show as ‘bold, honest and deeply moving’, while The Stage highlighted its ‘frenetically funny’ exploration of surrogacy and sisterly love.
Blending big questions with plenty of laughs, BAIRNS promises an intimate and entertaining night of theatre that refuses to make motherhood, family or growing up look straightforward. At its heart is a story about the promises we make for the people we love, and what happens when keeping them proves much harder than expected.
With tickets starting at £12.00 and the show recommended for audiences aged 14+, BAIRNS offers a funny and frank take on family, responsibility and one very complicated favour.
Tickets, priced at £12.00 in advance, are available at northernstage.co.uk.
