Who Cares? at Oldham Coliseum
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Based on real-life testimonies with young people, Who Cares? is a multi-award-winning theatre production that examines our social care system and uncovers the heartbreaking experiences of young unpaid carers.
Who Cares? is now on its third UK tour – so if you haven’t been quick enough to get a ticket for previous shows – you’ve got another chance to catch this critically acclaimed production at Oldham Coliseum. Created by top-notch verbatim theatre company LUNG, the play – brutal, though beautifully executed on stage – lays blame on austerity for the agonising and lonely situations many young (and often unsupported) carers find themselves in.
Brutal, though beautifully executed on stage…
The play focuses on the lives of three young carers, Nicole, Jade and Connor. At school, the three are just like their peers – sitting on the back of the bus, skiving lessons and jumping the lunch queue, but when they get home – things are very different.
Nicole became her mum’s carer at the age of four. Every morning Nicole helps her mum get washed, put on her clothes and eat breakfast. Jade cares for her brother and her father, juggling two lots of appointments and prescriptions alongside two sets of assessment forms. Connor cares for his mother but he doesn’t like to discuss it.
Written by Matt Woodhead, the show has been made in partnership with The Lowry and Greater Manchester charity Gaddum Carers Service and has been adapted from 200 hours of interviews with four young carers from Salford, and their families and schoolteachers. Local councillors and MP Barbara Keeley were also interviewed, alongside GPs and paid carers working in the North West.
Supporting this play is the first step towards better funding and advocacy for these inspirational young people.
Emotionally raw, intelligent, theatrically slick, Who Cares? really hammers home how easy it is for young carers to slip through the societal net. We love theatre because it’s the perfect medium to bring these often ‘hidden’ stories to the fore. Young carers deserve to be seen and their stories need to be heard – and supporting this play is the first step towards better funding and advocacy for these inspirational young people.
