Shining light on the highs and lows of new motherhood, FOX heads on Spring tour for 2023

They call me Mum. Everyone calls me Mum now. I used to have a name before. Where did that go?

Inspired by true events, FOX tells an honest and insightful story of new motherhood and the battles parents can face within an increasingly isolated society. Katie Guicciardi’s sharp and witty show will spark important discussions around the theme of help, exploring our desire to give it and how we seek it out. First on at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019, FOX will be embarking on a spring tour, offering baby-friendly performances throughout.

A mother is alone at home caring for her baby when no one is caring for her. Riddled with guilt about her lack of mothering skills, a previous miscarriage, and her behaviour towards the homeless man outside, she spirals downwards towards the realisation that it is her who needs help as well as him. Having witnessed friends suffer severely from postnatal depression, Guicciardi’s writing strives to normalise having more conversations around loneliness and reaching out for support.

FOX explores the life-altering period of early of motherhood, bringing the audience on the journey of physical, emotional and hormonal shifts that women can experience after having a baby. FOX will run two performances at most venues, offering performances specifically for parents to bring along their non-walking babies to. There will be a baby-friendly set-up for seating and lighting, allowing parents to feed, and move around with their babies in a relaxed environment. For parent and baby performances post-show play and chat sessions will also be available.

Katie Guicciardi (The Odyssey, York Theatre Royal; Hamlet, King’s Head Theatre) is an associate member of The Factory Theatre Company and has performed in various productions across the country. Guicciardi is the founder and director of The Actors’ Surgery and teaches as an acting coach across TV and Film and drama schools. She has also been a part of The Young Writers Programme at The Royal Court.

FOX is produced by Carbon Theatre, who work across complex and divergent, free-form theatre and cultural projects. Founder of Carbon Theatre Courtenay Johnson established the company in 2018 with the aim to support new work centred around equality, feminism and accessibility. Joining her, having produced FOX in 2019, will be Becky Barber (Emilia, The Globe; Birdsong, The Harold Pinter Theatre).

Writer and performer Katie Guicciardi comments, Motherhood is often represented by the birth of a child. But when a child is born, so too is a mother. In this post-lockdown era, when we have all come to know isolation, loneliness and fear, this show seems more relevant than ever as we look to those around us for support, community and help. They say it takes a village to raise a child. What happens when there is no village?

★★★★ The Telegraph

★★★★ What’s On Stage

Notes to Editors

Title FOX

Running Time 60 minutes

Age restrictions 14+

For baby-friendly performances, we recommend coming along with pre-walking babies.

Content Warning The play explores sensitive themes of postnatal depression and includes mentions of baby loss.

Website https://www.carbontheatre.org.uk/

Social Media @CarbonTheatre

Writer & Performer Katie Guicciardi

Director Lisa Cagnacci