Motherkind

Motherkind is a playful and powerful kaleidoscope of stories about parenting, the maternal brain and making space.

The vignette style show explores the early days, the fragility, the absurdity and the beauty of life. It taps into the chaos and conjures the calm.

Using new writing, comedy and song, these are tales of humour, challenge and discovery.

The mothers who make collective are a mixture of theatre makers and musicians who also work in medicine, occupational therapy, as a birth doula, an early year’s practitioner and creative practice facilitation. The stories come from our community our work and our children.

Motherkind explores adult themes including illness and loss. 

About the work

In a literal and dreamlike space “hear the voices” by Alice Robinson uses half face masks to explore the evolution of language, behaviours and our very first delicate and disastrous steps.

Duo Lucy Follows and Claire Northey will explore the many stark contrasts within motherhood, in a musical piece of dark comedy.

Cathy Shiel will be working with puppets, object manipulation and sound to explore the maternal brain and those juxtaposing moments of parenting. With dramaturgy (or Drama-turkey as Cathy’s 3 year old has renamed her) by Bekkie Morgan-Nickerson.

The Day the Waves Came from Laura Bloom, is a piece of storytelling inspired by the remarkable true story of Ibu Sarjani, a woman who was rescued by an unlikely friend in the Boxing Day Tsunami that devastated her home in Ache, Indonesia in 2004.

Emily Heyworth brings us some new writing in a story about the joys, anxieties and terror of new motherhood told through the eyes of character Bel. Directed by Kayleigh Hawkins and Dramaturgy by Alex Keelan.

Please note: The matinee performance will be in an especially relaxed atmosphere and suitable for pre-crawling babies or at the parents’ discretion and neuro-diverse audience members.