Blister by Laura Lomas

Blister tells the story of how a single decision can have a lasting impact on a number of lives. The play explores the relationships between siblings Lisa and Liam and how Liam's actions towards Lisa's boyfriend cause a ripple effect.

The play is written as a series of duologues, and stylistically it feels relevant, featuring characters that both GCSE and A Level students will identify with and be able to explore in-depth. The text doesn't prescribe a great deal for the characters which offers opportunities for students to interpret them in a variety of ways.

It begins with visible tension between Lisa and Liam, as he expresses his disapproval of her boyfriend, Ashley. We then move forward a year to explore an interaction between Liam's friend, Jamie and Ashley's sister, Becky where we see her fury at what has happened to Ashley. The action then transitions to Lisa visiting Liam in prison, where we feel the pressure of the relationship and the finality of her goodbye. The final scene is a flashback to Lisa and Ashley at seventeen, where we not only see the relationship blooming but feel the true connection that the teenagers have.