Port

'Port' is set entirely in Stockport, Stephens's hometown. Following his protagonist Racheal Keats, we watch her dissatisfaction with her surroundings ebb and escalate as those she loves begin to let her down or leave her behind, until, at the age of 24, she finally contemplates the prospect of leaving for herself, to see what lies beyond the boundaries of her hometown. 'Port' is a play about leaving, from the perspective of one who stays. Its Stockport setting is evoked with a personal touch as intimate as it is poignant as it depicts the emotional fallout of a transient life. The play premiered at the Royal Exchange, Manchester in November 2002.