World premiere of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s new play MUM to open in Plymouth

Photo credit: Jeremy Freedman

Olivier award-winning playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s urgent new play MUM will open at the Theatre Royal Plymouth from 30 September 2021, before transferring to London’s Soho Theatre.

Presented by Francesca Moody Productions, Soho Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth in association  with Popcorn Group, the piece will be directed by Abigail Graham, with set and costumes by Sarah Beaton, lighting by Sally  Ferguson, and sound by Anna Clock.

Casting will  be announced in due course.  

All you wanted was one night of unbroken sleep, what have you done? 

Motherhood. No one can prepare you for it. No matter how much you tell yourself you  can do it - can you? Where’s the rush of love? When will you sleep again? What if the  thing you fear most is also the thing you crave? All you wanted was one night of  unbroken sleep, what have you done? 

Nina is a new mum and tonight is her first night off. Tonight is about pizza and wine  and letting go. But Nina didn’t feel prepared for motherhood and isn’t sure she fits the  job description. Nina feels like she’s losing her grip.

This thought-provoking, funny and honest new play shines a light on early motherhood,  anxiety and mental health. MUM examines the pressures, neuroses and complex  emotions many women experience when they have a baby. At a time when mothers have  been disproportionally affected by the pandemic, never has it been more pertinent to  explore these issues. 

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm said: “I wrote this play to understand my own experiences post birth. I wanted to explore the  anxieties and fears that can emerge in those early months when you are sleep deprived,  overwhelmed and struggling. I also wanted to write something that would say to other  new parents 'you aren't the only one' but that also delivered some hope. It's certainly a  bit of a rollercoaster terror ride but it's also testament to the love of a new mum and  what we are capable of. I hope it continues the conversations already happening around  postnatal care and parental mental health.”

MUM will run at Theatre Royal Plymouth from 30  September – 16 October before transferring to Soho Theatre, London from 20 October – 20 November.