Through an interwoven monologue in Lucy Hayes's Bitter Lemons, two women in their twenties in the worlds of finance and football see their lives shift unexpectedly and in parallel when they both discover they are pregnant.

You look down to retrieve the ball but all you can see is Lemons Lemons filling up the goal Lemons writhing in the net Lemons glistening and convulsing on the grass In the pressurised worlds of football and finance, two women carve their own path. After the loss of her dad, a goalkeeper prepares for the league final, while an ambitious banker battles her fears of being tokenised to secure a promotion. But as their pitches get closer, worlds collide as life shifts unexpectedly and in parallel. How do you face your biggest challenge yet? Winner of a Pleasance Edinburgh National Partnership Award and supported by Bristol Old Vic, Bitter Lemons is an explosive debut play from Lucy Hayes, tackling the pressures on women’s bodies and the power society holds over them. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in August 2023.