Image Credit: Simon Shaw
By Grace Hatchell, writing from a bench outside Live Theatre where I’ve just witnessed three exhausted parents negotiating with a toddler over a packet of raisins and honestly… they deserved a standing ovation.
Mother? is a new one-woman play written and performed by Rachel Stockdale, touring the North East this June. Inspired by over 100 real stories from mothers, caregivers and families across the region, the production explores parenting, identity and modern family life with humour and honesty.
People say motherhood comes with no manual.
Well thank heavens for theatre, because sometimes the stage asks the questions the manuals never dare touch.
Heading to ARC Stockton and Newcastle’s Live Theatre this June is Mother?, a bold new one-woman show from North East writer, actor and director Rachel Stockdale — and by the sound of it, this one isn’t interested in tidy little answers or picture-perfect family portraits.
Instead, Mother? opens the door to the glorious, complicated and sometimes messy reality of modern parenting.
Created from conversations with more than one hundred Mam’s, Mum’s and primary caregivers across the North East, the production gathers together voices from all walks of family life. We’re talking parents, foster carers, adoptive families, midwives, a doula, people who have chosen not to have children — and yes, even a nun gets involved.
And that’s where this feels particularly canny.
Because Mother? doesn’t seem interested in telling audiences what motherhood should be.
It asks something far more interesting:
What is a mother? Who gets called one? And who decides?
The play blends humour, honesty and energy while exploring birth, bereavement, adoption, fostering and the shifting realities of parenting across generations. According to Rachel Stockdale herself, the work refuses to shy away from “the mess” and the things families often don’t get chance to say aloud.
Now there’s a phrase that caught my eye.
The mess.
Because families are messy, aren’t they? Lovely sometimes. Maddening other times. Full of support, disagreement, sacrifice and occasional emotional chaos involving WhatsApp groups and passive-aggressive roast potatoes.
Mother? sounds like it leans straight into those truths rather than polishing them away.
Alongside the performances, ARC Stockton will also host a portrait exhibition featuring thirty mothers and caregivers involved in the project — placing them firmly at the centre of the frame, which feels rather fitting considering how often caregivers spend life making sure everybody else is centre stage.
The production is also developing for radio with BBC Tees, meaning these stories may soon travel beyond theatre walls altogether.
Rachel Stockdale will write and perform the piece, directed by Tracy Gillman. Theatre folk may already know Rachel from acclaimed works including Fat Chance, Bin Day and Tub Time, alongside acting and directing credits across stage and screen.
Mother? visits ARC Stockton on 18 and 19 June before arriving at Live Theatre Newcastle on 30 June. The production runs for approximately one hour and is recommended for audiences aged 14+.
Grace’s Satchel™ verdict? This sounds less like a lecture on parenting and more like an honest conversation — the sort usually had over cups of tea once the kids have finally gone to bed and somebody says, “Right… can I be truthful for a minute?
Dates: ARC Stockton, Thurs 18 & Fri 19 Jun, 7pm & Live Theatre, Newcastle, Tues 30 Jun, 7.30pm
Duration: Approx. 1 hour
Suitability: 14+ (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)To book visit:
ARC Stockton: www.arconline.co.uk/whats-on/mother/
Live Theatre: www.live.org.uk/whats-on/mother
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