Proud Mary is a love letter to an immigrant’s ever-complex relationship with her own immigrant mother, evaluating their journey from Korea to Canada. Mary attempts to bridge the gap between mothers and daughters across cultures, languages, eras, distance, and egos. With an amalgamation of different performative elements aiming to strike a deep chord in both the funny bone and the heart.
It will incorporate elements of Korean tradition, grief, communication, food, and language as you meet people in Mary’s life - including Mary’s mother - throughout the different points in her experience. We enter her mom’s celebration of life and it becomes the space where Mary can reflect upon all of the ways she was raised; how her mother was, and who her mother was. As per Korean tradition, she presents three offerings to help guide the spirit into the next life - food, money, and shoes - with each offering, its purpose uncovers a specific aspect of their relationship with the foundational, unattainable endeavour to simply make mom proud.
There will be music, physical storytelling, singing, a little audience participation, and a lot of silliness to be had. The vision is that people, who have the privilege of having a mother figure in their lives, will leave the theatre texting or calling them.
Age recommendation: All Ages
Duration: 50 minutes
Price: £15
Languages: English, Korean
Countries: Korea, Canada
Show accessibility: None
Content warnings: swearing, flashing lights, loud noises
Cast & Creatives
Performer: MJ Lee
Writer: MJ Lee