Rona Munro's 2002 prison drama "Iron" is being revived with real-life mother and daughter Christine and Lois Mackie playing the central roles. The play explores a fractured relationship between Fay, a lifer imprisoned for murder, and Josie, her daughter who has not seen her in 15 years and has become an estranged, career-focused woman. Through their monthly prison visits, Munro examines how prison affects mental health, particularly for women, and raises questions about whether incarceration stems from malice or circumstance rather than inherent criminality.

Lois Mackie portrays Josie as detached and identity-stripped, drifting through her professional life whilst struggling to define herself personally. Christine Mackie delivers a superb performance as Fay—volatile and manipulative, like a captive bird searching for danger—leaving audiences uncertain whether her erratic behaviour stems from incarceration or character flaws. Sam Holland-Bunyan's subdued, bare-bones production emphasises the psychological complexity of their relationship, though the low-key approach makes what is already a lengthy play feel even longer, with prison guards watching silently over the encounters.