Following the recent news that a fire had destroyed the entire set of their touring production on New Year’s Eve, London Classic Theatre are pleased to announce that the extension of the UK tour of Charlotte Keatley’s My Mother Said I Never Should will go ahead as planned.
Kathryn Ritchie returns to play Jackie Metcalfe and will be joined by Rebecca Birch (Rosie Metcalfe), Lisa Burrows (Margaret Bradley) and Judith Paris (Doris Partington). Artistic Director of LCT, Michael Cabot directs the production, which tours to a further 14 venues in 2019. The tour starts at New Theatre Royal Portsmouth on 6 February, with performances in Newtown, Ipswich, Doncaster, Middlesbrough, Richmond, Derby, Poole, Winchester, Worthing, Epsom, Swansea and Oldham before concluding at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford in April.
Artistic Director, Michael Cabot said today ‘It’s been a very busy fortnight since we found out about the fire. After the initial shock, we sat down and immediately started working out what we needed to do. We received countless offers of help from friends in the industry and elsewhere. We’re also very lucky to be surrounded by some totally dedicated people, who have responded to the fire with purpose and determination. Rehearsals are now under way as well and so far, so good.’
Set in Manchester, Oldham and London, My Mother Said I Never Should is a poignant, bittersweet story about love, jealousy and the price of freedom. The play details the lives of four women through the immense social changes of the twentieth century. Using a kaleidoscopic time structure, Charlotte Keatley’s story focuses on four generations of one family as they confront the most significant moments of their lives.
In 1940, Doris, a former teacher, encourages her nine-year-old daughter, Margaret, to mind her manners and practise the piano. In 1969, Margaret’s relationship with her own daughter is strained, as art student Jackie experiments with her new found sexual freedom. When Jackie becomes pregnant at 18 and has baby Rosie, a decision is made that will affect all their lives irrevocably.
