The Barclay's have a love like no other but a void they face every day, and no matter what decade it’s not getting any easier to fill. In the dawn of the post-war nuclear family and the 1960s sexual revolution, Anne’s infertility means she is suffocated by a society where she no longer fits. In the 1970s Pamela’s decision to adopt is shrouded in secrecy and shame. By the 1990s Melanies’s plight is a gimmick to promote soap operas and magazines. Even today Eloise’s desire for a baby is no easier to fulfil, and seemingly no easier to understand. This won’t stop the Barclay’s in their pursuit of happiness and defining what a family means on their own terms. Set across four time periods, Vacuum is a tender two-hander that explores the resilience of real love against joy and heartbreak. Questioning how much a couple can ever be expected to take, the Barclay’s are a testament to the old adage that if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. Adapted from the playwright’s award-winning research ‘Reproduction, Medicine and the Media’ and inspired by true events, this play uses dialogue from the real couples who inspired these stories.

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