Review by Kate Gaul
Kelly Jones’ play for Plaines Plough asks what happens if a loved one dies, and you can’t afford to pay for the funeral? Abigail is an emerging playwright under commission for a new play. She is anxious about the reception of her newest submission, “Gay Termites in Space”. Literary manager, Darren, assures her that her play is good, but he wants something different from a writer with her background. He urges her to write about what he thinks she knows best. And he wants it gritty, challenging and written from the perspective of someone who lives in a housing estate. The play begins as a satire on how the theatre industry treats working-class writers and the way it often gatekeeps the kinds of stories they can tell. The three actors in “My Mother’s Funeral: The Show” relish this story line and knowing laughs and groans from the audience suggest – sadly - the experience is not unique!
Abigail reluctantly delivers. The theatre company will pay a fee. You see, her mother has just passed away and Abigail and her brother can’t afford to pay for an oak coffin with brass handles like her mother always wanted; she can’t even afford to pay for the most basic funeral package. As an emerging playwright, however, she can turn her trauma into theatre in the hopes of acquiring a commission that will help her meet the funeral costs. It’s a bit of a long shot but no one is thinking clearly at this major life moment.
Kelly Jones has created a touching portrait of the brother and sister around the loss of their mother. Abigail has taken control of organising a funeral while her brother smarts from the fact that he believes he was always second in his mother’s affections. Grief is on hold as Abigail desperately meets deadline after deadline from the literary manager and the actor on board to play the mum. It is a funny play that has a strong emotional throughline.
From playwright Kelly Jones: “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.”
Abigail is played by an energy fuelled Nicole Sawyerr. Her increasingly frenetic trajectory is both engaging and terrifying. Samuel Armfield is both the toffy literary manager and her brother. It is such a beautiful contrast in this double and with the change of a jacket and stance it is delightful to see Armfield’s work. Debra Baker plays Abigail’s mum with grace. She then doubles an actress who will play the mum in the showing. Baker gives us a masterclass.
This is a tight three hander plays seamlessly in the round. Like all great plays we laugh and cry as it reveals many truths about the theatre industry, grief and the business of dying.
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