By Doug Deans
Directed by Kathleen O’Dougherty
“and I love her. I love her.
I do love her. I think I do.”
2 people.
A Mum to someone. A Dad to someone else.
Both new to it. Both learning.
He’s loving it. She’s…managing.
2 stories.
17 years. 1 afternoon.
Just keep going. Tell yourself you’re doing your best. That’s all they need.
Right?
A woman stands in a pub doorway, checking ID’s, waiting for a call. A man sits at the kitchen table with his children, waiting for a call. Their lives couldn’t be more different. But if they could see each other…
Hit theatre company Chronic Insanity, the team behind the multi-award-nominated ★★★★★ fringe hit 24, 23, 22 return to Omnibus Theatre in January 2026 with the world premier of this potent and provocative new play. Mother.Dad is a raw and raucous look at love, parenthood, class, and the sheer madness of raising a family in the 21st century.
Written by rising star Doug Deans (“smartly cyclical writing” The Guardian) Mother.Dad was selected for the Lyric Hammersmith’s first open script submission from over 800 scripts, and was shortlisted from open submissions for the Bush Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, and Graeae.
Praise for Chronic Insanity
★★★★★ Everything Theatre
★★★★★ Theatre Scotland
★★★★★ Three Weeks
★★★★★ ChapterZ Magazine
★★★★ The Stage
Shortlisted for Popcorn New Writing Award
Shortlisted for Off West End Award – Best Director
Andy Sellers
Andy trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Theatre credits include: Demetrius Wakes (Old Red Lion); Jekyll & Hyde (National theatre);Swimming (White Bear); Touching the Void (West End & Bristol Old Vic).Film and TV credits include: Amadeus (Sky); The Stolen Girl (Disney+); Young Woman and the Sea(Disney+); Outlander (Amazon); All Creatures Great and Small
Toyin Ayedun-Alase
Toyin Ayedun-Alase is a London-based actor working across theatre, television and screen.
Theatre credits include: Iz Dat U Yh and Alice in Wonderland (Brixton House); The Clinic (AlmeidaTheatre); Much Ado About Nothing; The Comedy of Errors (Royal Shakespeare Company);Herstory (Brighton Festival); Sleeping Beauty (Nottingham Playhouse); I’d Rather Go Blind(Omnibus Theatre); The Return of the Unknown (Marlowe Theatre); Romeo + Juliet (SecretCinema); Underwater Love (Futures Theatre); The Odyssey (God and Monsters Theatre); TheThreepenny Opera (National Theatre); Black Lives Black Words (Bush Theatre); After All This (OvalHouse Theatre); Crowning Glory (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Soap Opera (Royal Court); SKEEN(33% Festival, Oval House Theatre); Ignite (Soho Theatre); Slamdunk (Hackney Empire).
Television credits include: Top Boy (Netflix); Motherland (BBC); Man Down Season 3 (Channel 4);A Response to Your Message (Film4, shortfilm); Stand Up Sketch Show Season 5 (ITV).Toyin is a two-time Black British Theatre Awards winner (2023), receiving Best Lead Actress forThe Clinic and Best Supporting Actress for Alice in Wonderland.
