Motherhood

A woman opens the door at two in the morning and tries to hang on to normal. Lisa doesn't have the right words or know what questions to ask in this new world of crime and law. So what happens when doing the right thing isn't the right thing any more? This solo show explores the world of knife crime from a fresh perspective as a woman is forced to confront the unfamiliar world her son has collided with and compromise on what she thinks she believes in.

Lot of legal stuff being said that I don’t even get and they ask if I’m an appropriate adult.  

 Well yeah... I’m his mum?’  

Throughout all this, however, Lisa maintains a lively down-to-earth approach to life and the play aims to find humour in the most random moments as well as showing the impact on a mother trying to hold it all together.  

This story is based in Oxford and shows a darker side to the city that the tourists don’t see. It reveals an Oxford which is about social exclusion, a world that contrasts with the privilege the city is normally associated with.  

Based on real events and lived experience, this story is told with an original soundscape created by In-Spire Sounds and the voices of local young people who have developed music with them through the ‘Inspiring Change Through Music’ project.  

In-Spire supports 12-25 year olds facing a range of adversities from mental ill-health, isolation and anxiety, to risk of criminal, drug and sexual exploitation.  

MotherHood is the state of being a mother, but what if you’re a mother in a state?