The document provides a number of writing prompts related to the play "A Taste of Honey" by Shelagh Delaney. The prompts include writing a short story about Helen's early life and relationship with her first husband; creating acrostic poems for the main characters; designing a new cover for the play; imagining symbols in the play and what they could represent; drafting a mock interview between Jo and Geoff; and responding to various questions and themes from the play in structured PEEL paragraphs.

1. Imagine that you are Shelagh Delaney and
you have decided to write a short story
detailing Helen’s early life. Write this short
story, making sure that you explore Helen’s
relationship with her first husband and the
events which led to Jo’s birth. It should be
no more than 1 page. As this is a creative
writing task, ensure that you also:
Use a range of descriptive vocabulary
Use a range of sentence structures
Use punctuation for effect and include
language devices
Use paragraphs (including starting a new
person’s dialogue on a new line!)
Think about the following characters from the
play. What words or sentences would you use
to describe them? Create an acrostic poem for
each character, decorating each with
appropriate images e.g. Helen’s poem might
include pictures of whiskey bottles to symbolise
her implied alcoholism.
Josephine
Helen
Peter
Geoffrey
The publishing company
has hired you to create a
new cover for “A Taste of
Honey”. Create a new
cover for the play and
provide annotations or
supporting evidence as to
why your cover and its
symbols or lay-out portray
the key themes and
elements of Shelagh
Delaney’s work.
Create images for 3 of the
key symbols in “A Taste Of
Honey” and a description
of what they could
represent. Could provide
alternative ideas for the
symbols as well.
Come up with a mock
interview for Jo and Geoff.
How and why does Jo
select Geof over the other
candidates to help her
during her pregnancy?
What questions might she
ask? What might she be
thinking? What might Geof
be thinking?
Has the stigma around pre-marital sex and
single moms changed a great deal since the
1950’s? explain and support answer
If Jo was born in the 21
st
century how do you
think her character might be different?
Is Helen telling the truth
about Jo’s father? Does
she consider the impact of
what she says? Write a
PEEL response for both
answers and choose your
strongest answer. Explain
why did you selected this
answer.
What does Jo suspect
about Geof? How does he
react to her suspicions?
Why does Jo press for a
clear answer?
Jo and Helen make
revealing comments about
reflection. How much
affection do you think
there is between them?
Respond in 2 PEEL
paragraphs.
Why do you think Delaney includes Peter
and Geof in her play? Respond in 2 PEEL
paragraphs
What do you learn about Jo’s attitudes to the
expected baby? What are her fears? Respond in
a PEEL paragraph.
In a PEEL response answer
the following question:
What does Jo learn about
her father? Why does she
want to know and how
does she receive what she
learns?
How does Helen react to
finding out about The Boy?
Can you explain why?
Respond in a PEEL
paragraph.
Why do you think Geof
chooses to stay and help Jo
through her pregnancy?
Respond in a PEEL
response.
There are many terms used in drama.
Research 8 of following terms and create a
‘Drama Dictionary’, giving the definitions of
each word (and an example, if possible):
Drama, Monologue, Duologue, Soliloquy,
Aside, Script, Catharsis, Denouement, Dues
ex Machina, Foreshadow, Hubris, Tragic
hero, Melodrama, Coup de Theatre, Irony
Using the Internet, create a fact file about the
writer of ‘A Taste of Honey’, Shelagh Delaney.
Your fact file should include detailed
information on:
Her full name is and the dates on which she
was born and died
What her life was like when she was growing
up e.g. her family, where she lived etc.
What she did for a living after writing A Taste
of Honey when she was eighteen
Her personal life – was she married and did
she have children?
What inspired her to write A Taste of Honey
A list of some of her other famous plays and
screenwriting credits (including dates)
Research and create a
diagram of the ways
motherhood has changed
from 1950 to today.
Research and create a
diagram of the ways
understanding of
homosexuality and LGBTQ
issues has changed or
evolved from the 1950’s to
today.
Come up with a word bank
of difficult words or words
you didn’t understand the
first time reading through
‘A Taste of Honey’ and find
their definitions.