Continuously daring to bring bold stories to life, Dead Darling Theatre is in for another winner with the new show, unmothered. A powerful meditation on maternal inheritance, unmothered gently explores the emotional weight passed between generations of women. Still in development, this piece has the potential to become an unforgettable modern musical and moving piece of theatre.
Dead Darling Theatre is managed by Hannah Smith and Amelia Rooney, who are both still completing their respective degrees in directing (Hannah) and creative writing and music (Amelia). Their cohesive mission is bound by their desire to build inclusive spaces for artists and deliberately engage underrepresented voices. unmothered is now their seventh work since they began in 2021.
Unmothered is written by Amelia Rooney, Eliza Barnes and Noella Grace Akimana and explores the emotional inheritance passed between women across three generations. The music is a blend of indie and folk sounds, creating a calming sense of softness throughout the piece. Each one is sung beautifully, clearly written to amplify each character’s inner voice.
The production has three main roles: Daughter, Mother and Grandma, who are performed by Wirra Benveniste, Isabella Vassallo and Hannah McGrath, respectively. Through these three generations, themes of generational trauma and the cycle of girl to womanhood are explored.
The performance is perfectly paced, transitioning between short scenes to either a song or a poetic monologue. Throughout the show, the cast are often on stage together, layering dialogue to accentuate their generational differences. This choice was particularly powerful in highlighting the show’s themes. Given they’ve only been working with the script for a short period of time, these three performers are impressively refined in their delivery.
The main plotline follows Daughter from early childhood to adulthood as her relationship with her mother changes over time. In a series of short scenes, Daughter remembers moments with her mother, including bedtime rituals, birthdays, and family tree school projects.
These nostalgic memories forge a wonderful sense of connection with the audience. Daughter begins to question the emotional distance between her mother and grandma, after asking about the family tree for a school project, a core school memory for most of us.
We learn that Mother holds memories of her strict upbringing. It’s hinted that she was shamed for her pregnancy, amongst other things. Mother seems to have a strong desire to raise her daughter differently.
Further evoking sympathy from the audience, Grandma shares her perspective on motherhood. She shares her regret and a saddening, fading memory.
Smith’s careful direction allows for clear sequencing and transitioning of events. A particularly powerful moment that resonated with the audience is the daughter’s first period scene. The three generations are positioned at different levels, talking down to the daughter. Grandma shames Mother, and Mother offers Daughter advice. Despite the layering of dialogue, nothing is lost or misheard.
A motif of collected postcards are the main props throughout the piece. They are cleverly used as a symbol of longing and connection to the past. As the work continues to develop, I am sure that the Daughter’s search for connection to her Grandma will be a powerful plot line.
Soundtracking the piece is pianist Jack Wake-Dyster. I admired how sound was used to correspond with the action taking place on stage. This deliberate creative choice further enhances the ataractic tones of the show, allowing the audience to sink into the storytelling.
Even in the cosy setting, the staging is used effectively. A humble living room setting is the main place of action, lit by two lamps. For the purpose of the development, the actors stood by the pianist and music stands to sing, yet still remained part of the story. I admired this movement between the locations in keeping the action moving.
To see a creative team of young women telling stories about mothers, daughters, and grandmothers with such care is so vital. To have male audience members discuss what they found powerful about the piece afterwards proves the importance of sharing these lived experiences of women through art.
unmothered bridges generational female perspectives through tenderness, honesty, and beautifully crafted storytelling. I look forward to seeing the next stages in the future.
unmothered is presented by Dead Darling Theatre and runs to 4 October at the Dance Studio, Flinders Drama Centre, Sturt Road Bedford Park SA 5042.
Tickets for the remaining showings are now sold out.
Website: https://www.deaddarlingtheatre.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/deaddarlingtheatre/
Hero image: Hannah McGrath, Wirra Benveniste, and Isabella Vassallo. Photo by Jamie Hornsby
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