Set in 1950's Dublin, it tells the story of two neighbouring families who attempt to reconcile their lives with secrets they have kept to avoid facing public shame.
The musical's first production was at the Orange Tree Theatre, London in 2008 starring Louise Gold, Riona O'Connor and Stephen Carlile.
[1][2][3][4][5][6] The show was written for the theatre by the husband and wife team of Strachan and Gaughan, Strachan having had close links with the theatre, composing music for several plays and acted as musical director for productions of Kander and Ebb's Flora the Red Menace and The Rink.
(HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER) During the song, her children - Larry, Sheila, Dickie, Orla and Conor - enter boisterously.
They disapprovingly discuss their next door neighbours, the Hennessy family, who are seen lit in a separate space, eating their own dinner.
She reads out an item about a baby competition and Mrs O'Brien is suddenly transfixed, determined to enter little Conor.
Dickie's fiancé, Dymphna, arrives with news that baby Max Hennessy from next door (Miriam's son) is to be entered for it.
(JUST GRAND) The following day, Orla notices Mrs O'Brien with Sheila applying rouge to baby Conor's face before they leave to have his competition photo taken.
Orla waits until they have departed, grabs her coat and stomps out, bemoaning her mother's constant censure.
Miriam confesses that she is not a young widow as everyone believes, but separated from her American husband, Conrad, who has been beating her.
Having lightened her load, she surmises that there is more to Orla than meets the eye and warns her to beware of keeping secrets.
They reflect smugly on the differences between them and the O'Briens, apparently savouring their freedom from the noise and mayhem brought by the numerous children next door.
Towards the end of the song Mr Hennessy passes his wife the flowers who places them discreetly at the graveside of the child they lost.
(OTHER PEOPLE) Next Thursday in the O'Brien kitchen, the newspaper has arrived and baby Conor is through to the next round of the competition.
(NEXT DOOR'S BABY) Mrs O'Brien then has to rush out to keep an eye on her Great Aunty Mary who has had a bad turn.
He tells Orla that as a lad he dreamt of being a Canadian Mountie and even applied when he was sixteen, Mrs O'Brien finding out at the last minute and foiling his plan.
Miriam lets him in and he pleads with her to return with him to America where they will make a fresh start on a small farm in New England, away from his parents.
(PASSION) The following day Dymphna arrives at the O'Brien house with Dickie in tow ready to make an announcement.
(WHAT MOTHERS DO) On Wednesday evening, Mrs O'Brien rounds everyone up for a visit to Great Aunty Mary who is on her death bed.
That night Orla waits with Conor at the bus station for Miriam who arrives late, with no baby and no luggage.
Orla is confused and Miriam explains that she believes she can make a good life with Conrad back in America after all.