Full Cast and Creative Team Set For MY MOTHER'S FUNERAL: THE SHOW

The full cast and creative team have been announced for Kelly Jones’ darkly comic new drama, My Mother's Funeral: The Show, (a Paines Plough, Mercury Theatre, Belgrade Theatre, Landmark Theatres and Royal & Derngate Northampton co-production), previewing at The Belgrade Theatre from Thursday 25 – Saturday 27 July.

Directed by Paines Plough’s Joint Artistic Director, Charlotte Bennett, the cast includes Samuel Armfield, Debra Baker and Nicole Sawyerr. After previewing in Coventry, My Mother’s Funeral: The Show will have a full run at Roundabout @ Summerhall as part of Paines Plough’s annual  Roundabout programme at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (national press night 3 August) before touring to Plymouth, Colchester, Bristol, Corby, Northampton and Newcastle this autumn.

My Mother’s Funeral: The Show will be performed in B2 at The Belgrade as part of See it First - a programme of new plays, workshops involving some of the UK’s leading directors and writers, and conversations between artists and audiences, in Coventry from 17 – 27 July.

This, alongside two other shows, will be performed during See It First, giving local audiences the opportunity to see brilliant new writing prior to the Edinburgh Festival in August.

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 pauper’s burial.

Then, when a theatre suddenly pulls out of Abigail’s new project, she is asked to write about something else. Something that will bring in audiences. Something more raw, from her ‘unique working class lens.’

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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