Making Sense follows Ivy, a sarcastic and slightly lost young woman who feels as though everyone else has life figured out except her. As the lines between reality and imagination begin to blur, she is forced to see both herself and the people around her in a completely different light.

Blending humour, heart, and a touch of the surreal, Making Sense explores the uncertainty of growing up, navigating relationships, and finding your place in a world that often feels overwhelming. At its core, the play asks whether anyone truly has all the answers, and suggests that perhaps we're all just trying to make sense of a life that may never fully make sense — and that's okay.

Content Advisory (14+)

This production contains strong language, explicit sexual references, discussions of mental health, anxiety and emotional distress, therapy-related conversations, family conflict, relationship breakdown, themes of identity and self-worth, and occasional discriminatory language.

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‘Making Sense’ of new production from local Masters student

It is always a privilege to witness new, fresh talent emerging, so it was a joy to be in the audience for the opening performance of ‘Making Sense’, the second offering from Worcester University MA student and founder of CAH Productions, Charlotte Hasnip.

Described as one person’s search for meaning in today’s challenging world and based in part on Charlotte’s own real-life experiences, this production explores the impact of coping with neurodiversity in a way which will feel accessible and empathetic without feeling like a moral crusade.

The audience meet Ivy, a young person with ADHD, who is trying to negotiate everyday life but finding obstacles along the way. However, it is soon apparent that such obstacles are not solely a result of neurodiversity – everybody has issues to overcome in order to make their way in the world, and understanding this can make us all better human beings.

Ivy is played by Corinne Leigh-Hamilton, who gave a compelling performance in this role, illiciting a strong, emotional connection with her audience whilst creating a character everyone can both like and relate to in some way.

The cast had great chemistry together. Callum Roe as Ivy’s best friend Paul, and Alex Lake as Ivy’s sometime boyfriend, Ryan, both gave top supporting performances, using both naturalism and exaggeration to good effect. Special mention should be given to Laura Moss, who stepped in at only two days' notice to cover the role of Dr. Lottie Coleman, and delivered a convincing and sympathetic depiction of a therapist who has to deal with her own problems on top of her clients’.

Minimalist staging and clever use of lighting allowed for focus on the high energy performance. Something particularly enjoyable was the motif of the bus stop, creating moments of pause and self-reflection together and showing that nobody really knows where they’re going, what’s going on in other people’s lives or whether they will reach their destination anyway.

Use of humour also helped to balance the serious emotional content and ensured that the audience could identify with truly relatable characters and situations.

This genuine and heartfelt exploration of life’s realities left the audience feeling connected with the characters and situations. Charlotte Hasnip has a bright future career ahead of her, especially if she is already making sense of it all so clearly. Her message to us all is true: we’re all just doing the best we can.