Content warning: postpartum psychosis. If you require support, please visit Action on Postpartum Psychosis.
after birth, a new dark comedy about motherhood and mental health will open in London this week before touring throughout March.
The show follows Ann, a holiday camp entertainer who has been sectioned on a medieval island with her new-born after developing postpartum psychosis.
It will be performed at London’s Omnibus Theatre from 22-26 February. The show will then visit The Garage in Norwich (11 March); The Woodville in Gravesend (16 March); Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton (18 March); and Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis (24 March).
Sally Tatum will star as Ann, while Leona Allen and George Fletcher play all other roles.
Presented by Maiden Moor Productions, it is written by Zena Forster and directed by Grace Duggan. Sascha Gilmour is the designer, and Will Alder is the sound and lighting designer.
Forster collaborated with researchers at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) at Oxford University, and the production is informed by interviews with women who have experienced postpartum psychosis. As part of the tour, after birth will be performed for midwifery students and academics to share the play’s messages.
Forster said: “At the centre of my play is Ann—razor-witted and indomitable—she’s a reflection of the many resilient, funny women who experienced psychosis after the birth of their babies, and fearlessly shared their stories with me.”
Professor Marian Knight, who leads research into maternal deaths at Oxford University said: “The latest MBRRACE-UK findings around maternal mental health indicate an increasingly urgent need to disseminate the messages of after birth to a wider demographic.”
Tickets for after birth can be purchased through each venue’s website.
Words by Ellen Leslie
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