Spine is the story of two women; feisty misunderstood teenage Amy and elderly socialist warrior Glenda. On paper these two seem unlikely to make a go of it as friends but Glenda's family history and activism against council budget cuts intrigue Amy and despite her better judgement she ends up as an informal carer, emotional support and ultimately surrogate much loved granddaughter to a very eccentric old lady.

Written by Clara Brennan and performed by Rosie Wyatt, Spine is ultimately an uplifting drama but one that doesn't flinch from the harsh realities of life for a young woman who has slipped through the educational net, facing an uncertain future of zero hour contracts and unaffordable rents. Glenda is a modern day tribal elder, reminding us that we do well when we listen and learn from the collective wisdom of those who have fought for equality and democracy for us.

Wyatt is excellent both as Amy and as Amy-being-Glenda. She engages members of the audience in the story she is weaving, catching your eye and enlisting your sympathy for this warm-hearted, if chaotic, teenager. She doesn't hold back on angry Amy or sad Amy either and in this she has Brennan's excellent script to support her. This upcoming playwright has created in Amy a unique fully rounded character, one with her own story and an agent of her own destiny. Quite often dramatists view young women through a narrow lens, creating female characters reacting against the male dominated world they inhabit, but Brennan writes for women carving out their own path.

Packed with laugh-out-loud moments – a combination of Brennan's pin sharp writing and Wyatt's precise characterisations – this is also a gripping drama of how a very odd couple forge an unholy alliance for the benefit of their community. It continues on its national tour (England and Wales) and is well-worth catching if you can.