Based on real-life tales of motherhood, and produced, written, directed and performed by mums, new musical, The Good Enough Mums Club ends its current UK tour at The Lowry from November 30-December 2.
Co-commissioned by The Lowry and Birmingham Hippodrome, the team behind it has spent the last decade getting it together.
Lowry head of theatres Matthew Eames said: “Watching an earlier concert version of the show was incredible and our audiences more or less demanded they get to see the whole show. We're delighted to comply and play a role in supporting a new musical.”
When the council threatens to close their local playgroup, five women thrown together by motherhood overcome their isolation and loneliness to discover they are stronger as a group than as individuals – and that sometimes, being good enough is best.
Emily Beecher, an award-winning co-creative director, writer, producer, performer, story consultant (and single mum to Maisie), is the creator and founding mother of the show, which grew out of her experience with severe post-natal depression and psychosis. In 2014 a short community workshop version played to sold-out audiences and in the intervening years the team has reworked it by meeting mothers from all over the country – from a mosque in Birmingham to a pub in Leeds and a school in London - collecting their stories to ensure the show represents a variety of experiences of motherhood.
Children under four are welcome to attend special relaxed baby and child-friendly matinees – though if your child is at the "repeat everything" stage you might want to consider this carefully: the show can be quite sweary! Evening performances are strictly for those of 12 and over.
More info and tickets here