BRITAIN in 1964 may have been a society on the cusp of the pop revolution and the so-called permissive society but until later in the decade the stuffy conventions of religious morals prevailed.

This the backdrop of Amanda Whittington’s heartfelt tale of four unmarried teenagers who find themselves pregnant and sent to a church-run home where a good dose of prayers, hymns and the Bible is enforced; a world in which more emphasis is put on their lack of a husband than the mental health of mother and child.

It’s difficult to imagine today the stigma of being a single mother back then but it was sufficient for babies to be adopted and given away to “decent” folk without the mother ever having seen or cuddled her child.

Director Simon Stallworthy is covering heartbreaking ground here but he skilfully adds to Whittington’s dark humour with physical gags and the 1960s music delivered courtesy of Mary Adam’s (Victoria Holmes) Dansette record player.

Chart music of the time (The Ronettes, Dusty Springfield, The Dixie Cups, Herman’s Hermits et al) provides an escapist backdrop for these girls, all of whom had dreams and aspirations but were paying for what, after all, was largely caused by ignorance of sexual education. Dolores (Donna Griffin) was horrified to discover how babies are delivered. Her response was very funny, though.

Norma (Samantha Morris) and Queenie (Danielle Williams) complete the excellent quartet.

Sadly, their condition and the bigotry of society meant the girls had to face up to their plight with resignation. It was a situation enforced ultimately by their own parents, as exemplified by Mary’s mum, Mrs Adams (Beatrice Comins).

No surprise, then, that people left the auditorium wiping tears from their eyes.

As well as being hugely entertaining, this is a stark reminder of how the old days weren’t necessarily that good.