My Mother’s Funeral: The Show comes to Royal & Derngate as part of its Made in Northampton season
A Royal & Derngate collaboration with Paines Plough theatre company has been a big hit at the Edinburgh Fringe ahead of its Northamptonshire dates this autumn.
Fresh from success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it won a prestigious Scotsman Fringe First Award, My Mother’s Funeral: The Show takes to the Royal stage from Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 October, under the banner of Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton season. For this exciting co-production, the theatre is delighted to be partnering with new writing giant Paines Plough who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.
Abigail’s mum is dead. But it turns out she can’t afford her to be.
Did you know how expensive it is to die? It’s £4000 for the funeral. Extra for flowers. And even more if you want sausage rolls. Otherwise, she will get a council funeral and an unmarked grave.
Then, when a theatre suddenly pulls out of Abigail’s new project, she is asked to write about something else. Something more raw, from her ‘unique working class lens’. Something that will make the audience feel really, really bad about themselves. Audiences like that, apparently.
Yep. To afford the funeral, she has to write about her mum.
With power and playfulness, Kelly Jones’s new play tackles the inequalities around death, and the cost of turning your loved ones into art.
This brand new commission is written by Kelly Jones and directed by Paines Plough’s Joint Artistic Director, Charlotte Bennett. Kelly Jones is a gay working-class playwright and neo burlesque performer from Dagenham (Cortina Ford) and is the winner of the BBC Wales Drama Award 2014.
The cast comprises Samuel Armfield, Debra Baker and Nicole Sawyer. The production features Set and Costume Design by Rhys Jarman, Lighting Design by Joshua Gadsby, Sound Design by Asaf Zohar, Movement Direction by Rachael Nanyonjo and Dramaturgy by Lauren Mooney, with Phillippe Cato as Assistant Director.
My Mother’s Funeral: The Show is a co-production by Paines Plough with Mercury Theatre, Belgrade Theatre, Landmark Theatres and Royal & Derngate Northampton.
After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, My Mother’s Funeral: The Show tours the UK, coming to Royal & Derngate from Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 October, with performances at 4pm and 7.30pm on Thursday, 7.30pm on Friday and 2.30pm and 7pm on Saturday. Tickets can be booked by calling Box Office on 01604 624811 or online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk.