Inspired by true events, Katie Guicciardi’s Fox is a brutally honest and amusing exploration of new motherhood in an increasingly isolating society. A sharply observed drama it examines our complex relationship with ‘help’ – our desire to give it and the need to seek it for ourselves.
On Monday 12th and Monday 19th August, parents, carers and their babies will be welcomed to a special performance of Fox. At 10.45am in the baby Grand, complimentary refreshments will be provided along with grown up conversation before the performance at 11.30am. Play mats and soft toys will be provided for babies to play with safely in the space. Babes in arms under the age of one go free with each full priced ticket. Please note, buggies are not allowed inside the auditorium but there is a pram shelter in The Green. Through the play and initiatives such as this, the team hope to open up the conversation about new motherhood and highlight issues around post-natal mental health.
Producer Becky Barber-Sharp says: Having been part of a ground-breaking initiative in the West End with the first ever parent/carer and baby performance during the highly successful run of Emilia, I am keen to roll out this opportunity to other shows. Fox is a very real, very relatable story with which many people, especially mothers, will connect. When I had small babies, one of my favourite things to do was to attend Baby Cinema, to have the intellectual and imaginative part of my brain engaged whilst still breast-feeding. As theatre is my first love, enabling parents to enjoy a theatrical experience whilst feeding or bouncing a baby on their knee is something that I would like to share.
Shining a light on postpartum depression and the silent issues of motherhood, Fox studies the weight of responsibility of another human being in two very different ways. It is a moving and insightful first play that brings to the fore the spectrum of changes, emotions and pressures brought about during a woman’s period of ‘matrescence’ and how, by becoming mothers, women undergo not only complex hormonal and physical changes but also emotional changes in how they perceive the world, the way the world perceives them and their whole identity and lifestyle.
Fox is also partnering with Cocoon Family Support. The London-based charity supports those affected by perinatal mental health conditions, and parents who are struggling to deal with difficult emotions before and after birth. They provide a safe and supportive environment where families can get together with others who may have feelings similar to themselves. They offer a range of services to aid and support recovery, which is accessible at all times. For more information, visit: www.cocoonfamilysupport.com
Cocoon Family Support CEO, Rosie Lowman comments, Cocoon is really excited to be involved with this show and helping smash the stigma of parental mental health, and the difficulties associated with the transition to parenthood. Becoming a parent can be a really difficult experience for some people, and we live in a culture of plastering on a smile and pretending all is wonderful. Productions such as Fox opens up dialogue about perinatal mental illness, giving people permission to talk more openly and empowers those struggling to seek help, by letting them know they are not alone.
