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ALSO |
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BBC
Beds, Herts and Bucks Theatre
Beyond
Brookside - read our interview with Sarah White
Entering
the Toddler Zone: by Julia Hames, the Hertfordshire woman
who's got everything but can't remember where she put it!
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Milton
Keynes Theatre
Mum's
the Word Tour
National
Childbirth Trust
The BBC is not responsible for the content
of external websites.
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| ESSENTIAL
INFO |
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12-17
July 2004
Mon-Thurs:
7:30pm
Fri & Sat: 6:00pm & 8:30pm
Tickets:
£10.00-£23.00
Box
Office: 01908 606090
ABOUT
MUM'S THE WORD
Mums The Word is an award-winning theatre piece written
by six women who have endured the agonies and ecstasies of
parenting.
Both funny and poignant, it deals with the trials and tribualtions
of having children and the overwhelming effect they have on
your life.
It
includes all the important elements of childrearing with which
those who are already parents will immediately identify, including
every parents daily immersion in bathwater, food,
spit, snot, blood, vomit, urine and faeces.
Starring
Sarah White (Brookside), Rebecca Wheatley (Casualty), Kim
Hartman ('Allo 'Allo), Maureen Nolan (The Nolans), Polly Highton
(Brookside) and Julie T Wallace (The Life and Loves of A She-Devil),
it hangs the dirty nappy laundry of maternity out to dry!
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Mums
the Word is a fun night out which spotlights parenting at its best
and worst! Six actresses tell well staged anecdotes in monologue form
and in doing so highlight the trials and tribulations of being a mother.
From
puking and pooing to the foolishness of taking your child to a restaurant,
the observational humour had the audience at Milton Keynes Theatre
howling with the laughter of recognition and virtually rolling in
the aisles - but if like me, you arent privy to the secret
knowledge of motherhood, then laughter may just pass you by!
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| The
cast of Mum's the Word |
Sarah
White was excellent as Deborah, the mum who thought that she could
just carry on as normal post-children, while Rebecca Wheatley brought
the house down as Linda, who tries with little success to explain
to her partner what her days at home with the kids are like.
I enjoyed
Polly Hightons trip to the pool as Barbara, the woman who
just wants a bit of peace and when some of her actions took even
the rest of the cast by surprise, the audience were in fits again!
Maureen
Nolan was Jill, the woman who enjoyed her wine bars, parties, theatre
and art galleries before pregnancy took her by surprise, and her
calm portrayal of the sometimes over anxious new mother gave me
some hope, should the worst ever befall me!
Apparently
the observational comedy was brilliant - or so I was told by some
mothers at the interval! But to be honest, I am not a mother and
therefore much of the evening was spent putting up with what you
have to put up with every day! i.e People laughing hysterically
at things that you just dont get - and don't want to either!!
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| Rebecca
Wheatley with Alexandra |
I think
there was more for me in the second half when the team worried about
turning out like their own mother (something that troubles me every
day - sorry mum - just kidding!)
And
I also found some of the more poignant moments quite heart-rending
- especially Kim Hartmans character Alison describing her
experiences of the special care baby unit, and Julie T Wallaces
moving story about her grandmothers handicapped child.
For
the most part, the evening confirmed that Im really not keen
on the idea of having children, and in feeling like that I am also
some kind of lesser mortal.
But
I also realised that for mothers - and fathers - the night is a
great shared experience and would recommend it to them!
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