We caught up with Kelly Jones (writer of My Mother’s Funeral: The Show) about her inspiration for the play, funeral poverty, and her experience working with Paines Plough.
How would you describe My Mother’s Funeral: The Show?
My Mother’s Funeral: The Show is a darkly funny, theatrical play about the cost of dying and the class inequalities that exist both in the death industry and theatre. It explores the reality of losing a parent and the emotional cost of selling your biography to make art. The play is focused on the theme of dignity and the lengths we’ll go to provide for someone we love. I promise it’s funny!
Can you discuss the development process, what inspired you to write this type of story?
I started writing the play during lockdown on the Mercury Theatre’s Playwrights group, tutored by the absolute legend, Kenny Emson. It was then selected by the Writers’ Guild as part of the New Play Commissions Scheme.
I submitted a rough first draft to Paines Plough in an open-submission window and was invited to a meeting with Charlotte, who told me Paines Plough were going to produce it!
Like most of my work, My Mother’s Funeral: The Show is inspired by something true; a relative passed away and we weren’t able to afford a funeral for her. I suppose, naively, I hadn’t realised that council funerals were still a thing.
I was brought up to believe that regardless of class, everyone ends up the same when we die – in the ground! That is not true.
Those who die with money can afford dignity and those without are made to feel ashamed by the very systems that should support us. If you have money, you are able to begin your grieving process in a healthy way. If you don’t, your grief has to go on hold until you work out how to afford it.
Funeral costs have risen by 126% in the last 20 years, with the average costing £4000 (excluding admin) – I wasn’t aware that once you ‘claim’ a body you are legally responsible for paying for all the costs. How are we in a world where people are having to choose between getting into debt or leaving their loved ones unclaimed? It’s Dickensian.
I wanted to write about it. It made me think about my relationship to writing biography. How as a young working-class lesbian writer I was encouraged to examine my trauma for ideas, without considering the impact on myself or an audience.
There’s a pressure when you’re from any kind of minority group to put your trauma on stage, and I wonder who it’s for. If you want to do it – great! But I used to do it because of money and because the only shows I was seeing all followed a similar pattern. Abigail in the play wants to write about gay space bugs, she should be allowed to do that, but the theatre won’t pay her for that, they will however pay for a show about her class trauma. She doesn’t have any other choice.
There is a reluctance to talk about the realities of death, what do you hope audiences will take away from the show?
Death is the only certain thing that is going to happen to all of us- spoiler! We are so rubbish at talking about it. There’s a lot of shame and fear. Most people don’t know how to talk about it, and when we need to it’s too late. I hope this show opens a conversation about the cost of dying and makes people aware of the support available.
I hope it encourages people to talk to their loved ones about their funeral wishes and helps them prepare for it. During rehearsals the creative team and cast were talking about having a will-writing party!
There’s a moment in the play where Mum tells Abi she doesn’t want her to get into debt for a funeral, it is only one day. So many people get into thousands of pounds of debt for funerals and they don’t need to. Conversations like that could help.
How are you getting on with development?
We are about to start rehearsals! I am very excited. The cast and creative team are amazing. Our team is quite female led – I’m writing, Charlotte Bennett is directing, we’ve got Lauren Mooney who’s the dramaturg. Charlotte is incredible – she knows how to work with writers, which I think is a real skill. I was aware of her and her work before, and always wanted her to direct a play of mine, so it’s really amazing that that’s happening.
What are you most looking forward to bringing this show to the Fringe and on tour around the UK?
On our tour I am looking forward to introducing my work to lots of new artists and audiences. The Mercury is where the play originated and has supported me and my work for a long time – bringing it to Essex audiences feels like coming home.
