Cast And Creative Team Announced For MY MOTHER'S FUNERAL: THE SHOW

Paines Plough has announced the full cast and creative team for Kelly Jones' new play My Mother's Funeral: The Show, a co-production with Mercury Theatre, Belgrade Theatre, Landmark Theatres and Royal & Derngate Northampton.

Directed by Paines Plough's Joint Artistic Director, Charlotte Bennett, the cast includes Samuel Armfield, Debra Baker and Nicole Sawyerr. My Mother's Funeral: The Show will preview at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry before a full run at Roundabout @ Summerhall as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival before touring the UK including Plymouth, Colchester, Bristol, Corby, Northampton and Newcastle.

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.

Playwright Kelly Jones commented: “Like most of my work My Mother's Funeral: The Show is inspired by something true; a relative passed away and we couldn't afford a funeral. Naively, I hadn't realised we don't all get treated the same when we die. I'd been brought up with the old adage that death is the leveller between the classes. That is not true: dignity comes at a high cost and those with the least (as always) have to pay the most. I wrote the first draft in a fury. Then I sent it to Paines Plough's open call. They loved the script and wanted to produce it! Working with Charlotte and the PP team is an absolute dream come true. I have been aware of PP since I was a young writer, it has always been the goal to have a show inside that beautiful yellow dome. I am beyond excited and grateful to share this funny yet unfortunately still all too relevant story.”

Director Charlotte Bennett added: “I first met Kelly Jones through our open submissions process in 2022, and from that very first conversation, I knew the story she had to tell would be full of joy, anger, healing, catharsis and laughter. It has the feeling of a proper state of the nation satire about those who are so often left out of the national-political conversation; whose lives are hit hardest by austerity and the cost of living (and dying) crisis. In other words, it's a story that we need to tell right now. To now bring this story to the stage with this incredible team to mark Paines Plough's 50th birthday makes it all even sweeter. I can't wait to get started, and for the show to meet audiences around the country.”

The production will feature Set and Costume Design by Rhys Jarman, Lighting Design by Joshua Gadsby, Sound Design by Asaf Zohar, Movement Direction by Rachael Nanyonjo, Dramaturgy by Lauren Mooney. The Assistant Director is Phillippe Cato, Casting Director Nadine Rennie CDG, Production Manager is Harry Armytage for The Production Office and Roni Neale completes the company as Company Stage Manager.

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