Platinum

I just think you shouldn’t put people on pedestals that’s all. It makes them seem perfect when they’re not. Martha McDonald was a world-famous singer – Grammy Hall of Fame resident, poster girl for revolution, and writer of one of the most iconic songs of the 1970s. Until she disappeared. For many years she hasn’t written or sung a single note. Hidden from public view deep in the Californian Mountains, Martha guards a secret that, if revealed, will change everything. And only one other person holds a key to this enigma: her estranged daughter, Anna. Anna is desperately trying to escape the long shadow of her mother’s fame and legacy. Will exposing the secret liberate her – and her mother – or might it destroy them both? Hannah Patterson’s intriguing play explores the impact that success and celebrity have on relationships and why honesty is not always the best policy. Platinum received its world premiere at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs on 9 December 2016.