Yen at Octagon Theatre Bolton

Anna Jordan’s Yen won the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2013 and premiered at Manchester’s Royal Exchange two years later. It went on to wow audiences at London’s Royal Court and Off-Broadway at New York’s MCC Theater. Now, more than a decade on, this gritty tale of brotherhood, survival and the messy business of growing up returns to the North for a strictly limited run at Octagon Theatre Bolton.

The play follows two neglected teenage brothers: Hench, 16, who has dropped out of school, and Bobbie, 13, who has ADHD and quit his place at “The Unit”. They live alone with their dog, Taliban, filling their days with PlayStation marathons, porn, and whatever drink or cigarettes they can lay their hands on, while their chaotic mother Maggie drifts in and out of their lives. It’s a precarious existence – both bleak and strangely ordinary. But then Jenny knocks on the door, a stranger who offers the possibility of connection, tenderness and danger in equal measure.

Yen marked a turning point in Jordan’s career, bringing her widespread acclaim and establishing her as one of the most fearless voices in British playwriting. Since then, she has gone on to write for stage and screen, contributing to HBO’s Succession and Netflix’s One Day, and continuing to make theatre that brims with empathy, wit and unflinching honesty. It’s these qualities that give Yen its enduring power more than a decade on.

This new Bolton Octagon staging is directed by Connor Goodwin (Toxic, Dry House) and boasts a stellar cast. TV favourite Vicky Binns (Coronation Street, Emmerdale) takes on the role of Maggie, alongside rising talents Adam Owers and Jonny Grogan as brothers Hench and Bobbie, and Lucy Eve Mann as Jenny. Behind the scenes, leading designer Davy String (Dear England, Hairspray) heads up the creative team, ensuring the production looks every bit as raw as Jordan’s writing feels.

With acclaimed runs in Manchester, London and New York already behind it, Yen now offers Northern theatregoers a second chance to experience this modern classic. Raw, unflinching, and unexpectedly tender, it is a well-crafted, layered tale of lost childhood, love, and violence – and a stark commentary on the state of society. For Bolton audiences, it promises to be one of the standout productions of the season.