Welsh talent comes out fighting with new Swansea-based play

A groundbreaking play which chronicles the struggles of a mother of a child with Cerebral Palsy is set to be staged in Swansea this autumn.

Following the success of ‘Sorter’, written by Richard Mylan, Grand Ambition are working with writer Tracy Harris, who is originally from Swansea to bring her latest play Mumfighter to audiences at Swansea Grand Theatre from 15 – 25 October 2024.

Starring Katie Payne, MumFighter is about a mother fighting for support and services; and the everyday battles faced in a world full of prejudice. Grand Ambition describe it as a moving, exhilarating and essential play about resilience, hope, and going the distance.

Motivation

Richard Mylan, who will direct MumFighter explains the company’s motivation in developing work in Swansea.

He said: “We want to create theatre for all of Swansea’s communities, not just those with a history of theatre-going; nurturing and retaining homegrown creative talent to tell the stories that matter to our city.

“It is important to us to tell the stories of marginalised people, representing voices less frequently heard on our stages.”

Lived experience

Mumfighter is rooted in writer Tracy Harris’s lived experience of parenting a child who has Cerebral Palsy and was written following research and consultation with other parents across south Wales.

It explores the obstacles faced by the mother of a disabled child, fighting for the support needed for them to reach their potential. The script made the shortlist for the RSC’s 37 plays project in 2022.

Mylan added: “As a parent of an autistic child myself, it feels very personal to be sharing this story on home turf.”

Grand Ambition aims to tell Swansea’s stories. The dynamic theatre company is committed to nurturing and retaining homegrown creative talent, telling stories that matter to and resonate with the people of Swansea and beyond.

The company was established in 2021 by creatives Richard Mylan, Michelle McTernan, Steve Balsamo and Christian Patterson in partnership with Swansea Council to become the resident producing and community engagement company at the city’s Swansea Grand Theatre and Brangwyn Hall; a partnership which continues as Grand Ambition develops as a project funded community interest company.

Representation

In March 2023, they premiered Sorter, a story of drug addiction in the city. Richard Mylan’s debut play went on to receive a raft of 4 and 5 star reviews, attract new attendees into the theatre and earn its writer a Stage Debut Award nomination.

Grand Ambition co-company director Michelle McTernan will lead on engagement activities for MumFighter, she explained why bringing this play to audiences is so important to the team at Grand Ambition, saying: “Representation is important & Mumfighter offers representation for carers & mothers. Putting this story in the spotlight provides opportunities to bring new audiences into our beautiful theatre here in the heart of Swansea.

“When we had our development sessions on MumFighter last year, we shared excerpts from the play with carers and support staff from across Swansea. It was really clear at the Q&A afterwards that people felt that this is an important play telling an important story.

“The universality of the need to feel heard made the excerpts shown really hit home, even with those who had no personal experience of having a disabled child.”

The company has support from charities Cerebra and Learning Disability Wales in bringing the story to the stage and their efforts to represent the struggle that families across the country face on a daily basis.

CEO of Learning Disability Wales, Zoe Richards said: “The premise of the story based on the fight of a Mum of a disabled child is a familiar tale to many if not all the parents and carers that we support. The inability to access the services and support that ensure their child lives a good life creates a fighter in even the meekest of parents. Organisations such as ours work tirelessly to address the injustices they face.

“However, performance art can in one evening change the hearts and minds that we have been trying to change for years. It can grow an awareness and an empathy in a community – we have seen this with the reaction to the Post Office scandal dramatisation”.

Families supported by both organisations will take part in workshops with Michelle and with associate director Cara Readle, a well-known Swansea-based actress and creative director who has Cerebral Palsy. Cara will also be working with director Richard Mylan throughout rehearsals.

Swansea Theatres Manager Grant McFarlane shared why he’s excited to include MumFighter in Swansea Grand Theatre’s autumn season. He said: “I attended a R&D at The Depot Studio in Nov last year.  It became very evident to me that this is an important play and that it told an important story.

“The short excerpt I witnessed was beautifully crafted and illustrated the depth of potential the production has. One thing which really stood out in was the level of emotional investment in the responses during the post-sharing Q&A, almost everyone could relate to either; the need to fight for services, the experience of advocating for themselves or a family member in the face of a system which can feel inhumane, or indeed the struggle of trying to provide those services from within an imperfect system.”

 Welsh excellence

For MumFighter, Grand Ambition has brought together an experienced team of Welsh and Wales-based creatives who hope to deliver a truly original piece of theatre.

Tickets for the production, including pay what you decide options, are now available from Swansea Grand Theatre’s box office and online at swanseagrand.co.uk/mumfighter.