Interview with the cast of Scenes from Lost Mothers

Scenes from Lost Mothers is a touring play from Clean Break and University of Hertfordshire, written by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. It presents findings from the Lost Mothers research project on prisons and maternal separation. The project is led by midwife and researcher Dr Laura Abbott, with input from Birth Companions Lived Experience Team.

All three cast members in the play are participating in Clean Break’s Acting Traineeship, which gives a solid introduction to working professionally as an actor.

We asked Claire, Shabina and Ro about their experience of the traineeship, their passion for acting, and the impact they want Scenes from Lost Mothers to have for pregnant women and mothers experiencing incarceration. 

Tell us about your role in Scenes from Lost Mothers?

Ro: The play is a three-hander, which does involve a lot of multi-rolling. I play an overworked prison officer who is a Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Unit Liaison Officer (PMBLO), a number of imprisoned mothers and a pregnant woman who is denied keeping her baby, to mention a few. You’ll have to watch the show to see the rest!  

Shabina: I play four characters, the play follows Carly’s journey from pregnancy to separation. I also play staff members including a male Prison Officer, a Social Worker and a Committee Member.

Claire: I play 10 roles, including pregnant woman and mothers in prison, as well as prison staff, a social worker and a campaigner, to name a few.  

It’s credit to the writing of Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti and the direction of Anna Herrmann (and all the creatives involved), as well as the commitment of ourselves, that we have been able to embody all of our characters within the 30-minute play.

Each character has an intention and a truth that must be conveyed within each short scene. We have spent considered rehearsal time focusing on this and we are being propelled by the urgency of the messages the play carries, as well as the bravery of the women who have shared their stories and are fighting for change.  

How did you discover your passion for acting?

Ro: When I was young, I was obsessed with particular actors I’d see in different roles or shows, and how they could transform and essentially play anything.

When I was older, I rediscovered my passion through performance poetry and Clean Break’s Young Artist Development programme, where I got to develop my acting and perform in a new play at the Arcola and Omnibus theatres, which I loved!

Claire: For me, it was through watching TV and films from a young age. Apparently, at the age of two I helped the installation man setup our TV. I knew what that box had in store for me! I quickly became inspired by what I saw on the screen.

When I saw theatre, I wanted to recreate it, and I jumped at any opportunity to perform at school and at home.

From the beginning, I wanted the audience to feel something. I believe in the power of creativity to bring about change and I want a world where everyone is free to be all that they can be.

Shabina: I always enjoyed acting as a child, and in 2019 I was given an opportunity to complete a level 1&2 acting course with Synergy Theatre Project. I really enjoyed it and went on to do further work with them, which led to me getting involved in TV and Film production. All of this helped me to work on my acting skills and pursue a career I love.

Tell us about your experience of Clean Break’s Acting Traineeship?

Ro: The Acting Traineeship has catapulted us into the ‘Theatre World’. We’ve had the chance to learn and grow whilst also being part of an amazing professional process and touring production.

The assets, mentorship and experience we get is invaluable to accessing a career that can be so difficult if you don’t have the funds or connections, and come from an underclass background like myself. It’s an amazing opportunity to work with such a talented cast, director, writer and team.

Claire: ‘Wow’ is what I can say! Clean Break does not mess about when it comes to supporting, harnessing and delivering creative projects. There are parts of me that cannot believe it's happening, and the other parts of me are saying “it's happening, believe it and enjoy every second.”

It's been a dream come true to wake up and come into the Clean Break studios to work hard, learn and grow. Now we have started touring the play, it brings a whole new dynamic that I am really embracing. I am giving it all I can, and I am welcoming the challenges and invaluable teachings.

I look around and I am surrounded by talented, creative, passionate and empowered women and we are here for a reason.

Shabina: It’s been the best experience. I have learned so much about myself and working in theatre. Everyone has been so supportive and encouraging and I am so grateful to the amazing creative team I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I’m going to have a solid acting CV at the end of this, and will have learned so much about the whole theatre process, from casting auditions to being part of a company.

What have you learned from the rehearsal process?

Claire: A Clean Break Member artist said to me, “trust the process” and I am so grateful for that advice.

I have learnt to trust the process, trust myself and to let go into the unknown. I can see where I have placed limitations on myself and through this process, and I have started to break free. Before we started rehearsals, I tried to prepare myself mentally, emotionally and physically, and throughout I am learning to tend to my wellbeing so that I can give the best of myself.

I'm finding that the self-care routine is constantly evolving as we move through each stage from rehearsal to touring, so I am learning a lot about what I need. I have learnt that hard work pays off when it comes to learning lines, remembering notes and the character work, but I have also learnt the importance of rest. Rest and self-care are critical to bringing the energy and focus required to deliver all the elements involved in a touring production of this depth.

I need to be rested, organised, grounded, energised, supportive, flexible and focused for each performance. In the words of director Anna Herrmann, “we are all serving the piece”.

Ro: I’ve also learned how to trust the process, that sometimes it’s going to feel overwhelming and other times it’s going to just click, and that’s part of it! I’ve learned the value of being a company, gained confidence in my ability and that I am capable of more than I realised by taking on this challenge.

Shabina: The rehearsal process has been fun, although it is a serious subject matter. It’s helped me to focus and be productive. The preparation, teamwork, direction and feedback were invaluable. It has been a great challenge whilst being cathartic at the same time, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

What would you like audiences to take away from seeing Scenes from Lost Mothers, and what impact would you like to see the play make?

Ro: I’d like people to take away a sense of relatability to the women, and humanise people that have been painted as ‘animals’ or ‘villains’ in society.

I’d like them to be impacted by the truth of the stories and gain an awareness of this issue that not many people know or think about. I’d like them to feel empowered to want real change in how the system treats and fails women and their children repeatedly, setting them up for failure.

Shabina: I would like the audiences to take away a sense of responsibility to help create change for women who are being separated from their babies. For example, if they work for the criminal justice system, they need to be talking about this with their colleagues and think about how they can be part of the process of change and support these women.

I want people to stop dehumanising women in prison and understand that many have experienced so much trauma already. There needs to be change in how women and their babies are looked after during another very traumatic time in their lives.

The impact I want the play to make, is for people to see how desperate women are to change their lives for the better so they can stay with their babies. I also want people to see how system failures are having a detrimental impact on women’s mental health, their children and families.

Claire: I would like the audiences to hear the stories of the mothers and leave with a greater understanding of what is happening in and beyond the prison walls.

I would like the play to reinforce all the relentless work that has gone into fighting for the rights of mothers. Scenes from Lost Mothers is part of the force that will not give up until their needs are prioritised, so that they are given the best possible opportunities to raise their children.

Ultimately, I would like to see policy change to end the imprisonment of pregnant women and mothers.

• Scenes from Lost Mothers →