Baby, He Loves You – Content Notes

Age guidance: 16+

Contains strong language, misogyny, alcohol, sex, depictions of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Plot summary

We want to ensure that audience members can make an informed decision about whether our work is suitable for themselves. The summary below includes spoilers but may be useful to those who prefer to know what happens in the show.

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The show is staged entirely in Jodie’s childhood bedroom, with different scenes taking place there in the build-up to, and during, her wedding. It starts with a prologue, as the audience are taking their seats, with Jodie and Lucy moving to music.

When the song ends Jodie and Lucy are in Jodie’s childhood room, chatting, drinking and getting ready for Jodie’s engagement party. They reminisce about when they were teenagers and we meet Mike, Alison and Phil, Jodie’s fiancé and her Mum and Dad. They all leave.

Mike and Jodie are in bed together later that night and Mike is trying to initiate sex. Jodie is trying to talk to Mike about his friend, Freddie, who was rude about his ex-girlfriend at the party, calling her a ‘slag’ etc. Jodie’s annoyed Mike didn’t back her up when she called him out on his behavior. She’s worried that Mike just lets it slide. Mike apologises and agrees that Freddie was inappropriate and says he’ll sort it. Conversation shifts to Lucy. Mike then engages in consensual oral sex with Jodie.

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Phil is trying to read his wedding speech to Mike, who is laughing because of how serious he is acting. But once Phil reads it, him and Mike share a moment. Phil seems to really love Jodie and is happy for Mike to be joining his family.

Jodie is trying on her wedding dress. Lucy is late. Before she arrives, Alison tells Jodie about her wedding dress and her ‘shotgun wedding’. Lucy arrives with Phil, they’ve just got back from work. When it’s just Jodie and Phil, he reveals that a woman at work has made a complaint against him, but doesn’t say what about.

Lucy and Jodie return from the hen do, with Alison. They drunkenly chat about the day and night out after. Jodie doesn’t like the idea that Mike and his friends might have gone to a strip club. Neither of them like his friends. Lucy reassures her and they go to sleep.

Lucy and Phil are getting ready for a work night out, Mike is also there. Lucy reads Mike’s vows and Phil leaves the room to speak to Alison. Mike and Lucy have a conversation, not a lot is said but it seems to be about Phil and we see a different side to Mike.

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Jodie tries to call Lucy. She doesn’t know where she is. Lucy’s not been answering Jodie’s messages. Lucy sees her phone ringing but ignores it.

Mike and Jodie need to leave to meet the registrar, but Jodie is worried about Lucy. Mike is unsympathetic, calls Lucy a drama queen and tells Jodie to hurry up. They argue and Mike leaves the room. Alison enters and comforts Jodie. She opens up about her relationship with Phil when they were young. She hints that he wasn’t always faithful to her. She says her parents were embarrassed for her being pregnant before the wedding. Mike and Phil come in. Phil says Lucy’s not been at work because of a cold. Mike and Jodie make up and leave. Phil’s work night out gets brought up and Alison tells him to “sort it out”.

It’s the night of the rehearsal dinner and there is a very tense interaction between Lucy and Phil. Phil does most of the talking to start with. Phil’s been telling their colleagues that Lucy’s leaving her job. They’ve been messaging each other and Lucy questions what would happen if Jodie and Alison found out. Phil changes tone, gets right in her face and verbally threatens her, standing over her as she sits down. Something else has happened between them. Phil leaves and Lucy cries.

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It’s the day of the wedding. Lucy is late to the house and not ready. Jodie is unhappy. Before they need to leave, Lucy tells Jodie about the messages with Phil. And on the work night out, when Lucy thought Phil was taking her home, he took her to the dealership and sexually assaulted her. Before she says this, Lucy says she’s worried Mike might be like Phil. Jodie says she doesn’t believe Lucy, accuses her of alleging rape against her dad. Alison comes in and tells Lucy to go. Lucy leaves. Jodie starts to cry. Alison definitely doesn’t believe Lucy and says she’s out of order to lie. She fixes Jodie’s makeup and reassures her what a good man Phil is. Mike and Jodie get married.

It’s the wedding reception: Phil and Mike are waiting for the toilet. They start talking about Lucy and mention Kirsty, the woman from Phil’s work who complained about him. Mike says Phil should be careful, in case there’s similarities in what Kirsty and Lucy say about him. When Phil leaves, Jodie comes out the toilet. She confronts Mike about what he’s just said. Jodie believes Lucy now. Phil comes back and says he didn’t rape Lucy and it was an affair. Mike knew about what happened between Lucy and Phil and didn’t tell Jodie. She feels betrayed. She picks up scissors and starts to cut and rip up her dress. She stops and is bleeding. Alison enters. The cars have arrived. Jodie is silent. Mike leads her away.

Jodie and Lucy are on stage. Jodie apologises and says she loves Lucy. They hold each other.

Last updated: 16 April, before the first performances

If you have any questions about this production, please don’t hesitate to contact our audience development manager, Jamie Potter.

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