Personal Values

'You clung on to everything. Her things.'

Veda and Bea haven't spoken since their dad's funeral; not since Bea scratched something obscene into the bonnet of Veda's cherished convertible. But one wet Tuesday morning, Veda shows up out of the blue on Bea's doorstep, determined to break down the walls built by so many things left unsaid.

But before they can do that, there's the small matter of the physical walls Bea has surrounded herself with - walls made of newspapers, suitcases, cutlery, commodes, keyboards and hundreds, likely thousands, of bags-for-life...

Chloë Lawrence-Taylor's play Personal Values is a perceptive, poignant and witty look at sisterhood and grief. It was first performed at Hampstead Theatre, London, in 2025, directed by Lucy Morrison.

'Full of vivid dialogue and foreboding rumbles... Lawrence-Taylor is a master of showing the messy loops and back-and-forths that come in heated moments with loved ones... she has a unique grasp of human behaviour that is far beyond her years' — Guardian

'Thrilling... Chloë Lawrence-Taylor's playwriting debut is only 60 minutes long, but it packs in so much... naturalistic dialogue with a glimmering layer of magical realism... this tender story of messy, love-hate family relationships, regrets and debilitating nostalgia is striking and powerful, marking Lawrence-Taylor as a promising playwright' — The Stage

'Beautifully powerful and poignant' — Theatre & Tonic

'Nuanced and sympathetic... There's also the kind of worn-in sense of humour that only families can share, with Lawrence-Taylor serving up a few good jokes alongside the serious subject matter... moving and hopeful' — The Upcoming

'Sharp and sensitive... Lawrence-Taylor has a ear for the sound of broken dreams' — Lou Reviews