Review: MY MOTHER'S FUNERAL, Mercury Theatre

“In death we are the same” – a phrase which Kelly Jones’ captivating play (…within a play… within a play) beautifully dissects. My Mother’s Funeral: The Show was first developed by Jones through the Mercury Theatre’s Playwrights Development Programme, before being picked up through an open call by Paines Plough.

Now, following a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, My Mother’s Funeral returns to the Mercury’s Studio for a limited time, before continuing its tour across the country.

They say “write what you know”, and this is something that our protagonist is all too familiar with. Having recently lost her mum, working-class playwright Abigail has tried everything she can to cover the extortionate costs of the funeral. Well, almost everything.

Desperate to fulfil her mother’s wishes, the grieving Abigail scraps her newest dramaturgical draft (a riveting tale of gay termites in space), and turns to something a little closer to home. By writing and developing an autobiographical play based on her deceased mother, Abigail hopes the theatre’s commission will get her the money she needs. But, as the days go by, and her mother lays unclaimed, soon blur the lines of fact and fiction, leaving Abigail suffering the trials and tribulations of turning life into art.

The cast consists of a mere three performers, with Nicole Sawyerr mesmerising as devoted daughter Abigail in a layered and emotional performance – leaving many audience members teary-eyed. Debra Baker and Samuel Armfield take multi-rolling in their stride, each embodying a catalogue of big personalities, including stuck-up theatre producer, outcast brother Darren, and Abigail’s late mother herself. Both Baker and Armfield switch between these roles effortlessly, often at a moment’s notice. These three powerhouse performers, accompanied by Charlotte Bennett’s angelic direction, make for a visually stunning experience.

Rhys Jarman’s staging and set design are simple yet innovative – a small hexagonal stage and a microphone on a stand. While the Mercury’s Studio hosts an end-on layout, for this performance, some seats are thrust-like – a few either side of the hexagonal stage. This style mimics the play’s immersive ‘in the round’ layout seen at its Edinburgh Fringe run, and this ‘closeness’ allows the audience to be in and amongst the action, with the actors, at times, sitting directly beside them. Lighting (Joshua Gadsby) and sound (Asaf Zohar) unite to perfectly aid the play’s environmental and tonal shifts.

Genre-wise, My Mother’s Funeral refuses to be labelled, successfully veering between comedy and drama with ease. And, although perhaps a difficult watch for those currently going through a bereavement, the complex themes of the play are universally applicable and relevant, welcoming a diverse audience. It’s refreshingly fast-paced and constantly dynamic, leaving its audience in a whirlwind of time and space. Kelly Jones’ writing is sharp, urgent, and packs a punch.

Equally hilarious and heartbreaking, My Mother’s Funeral: The Show is an exquisitely written, directed, and performed (not to mention un-apologetically self-aware) exploration of life, death, art, and class. It may just be the epitome of bold new theatre.

My Mother’s Funeral: The Show ran at the Mercury Theatre’s Studio until 21 September, then touring