Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew

by Coral Wylie

ISBN: 9781839043673

Published: 2025-03-06

'A garden without a traditional English rose is a cardinal sin - and I committed eight of those before my Ready Brek' Nineteen-year-old Pip is trying to find themselves through gardening. But with a dad more interested in plants than people and a mum stuck in the past, they're left to ponder life's questions alone. Then one day, they uncover a jacket in the attic that's been gathering dust. Bold, vibrant and very '80s, in its pocket lies a diary belonging to someone long gone. Swept up in the mystery, Pip digs into the past, unearthing secrets about an old friend their parents don't want to discuss... Funny, affecting and beautifully queer, Coral Wylie's play Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew tracks one family's efforts to assuage the past and plant the seeds of a better future. It was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award in 2023 and premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2025, directed by Debbie Hannan and starring Omari Douglas, Pooky Quesnel and Wil Johnson alongside the playwright.