A programme incorporating poetry, prose, play extracts, songs and incidental music examining the relationship between mothers and daughters. Devised by Sylvia Syms with original music written by Simon James. Performed by Sylvia Syms and Simon James accompanied by either Jenny Agutter or Jenny Seagrove.


Stratford Poetry Festival

Parents have a lot to answer for, Heaven knows, but in Mothers and Daughters (devised with a swift elegance by Sylvia Syms) mothers strike back. At least they get a
chance to put their point of view.

Therefore, this delightful, occasionally raffish programme, rich in humour and simple wisdom gave us mothers and daughters from every kind of angle.

I was very touched by Barbara Carey’s solitary parent who knew of her daughter’s life only by postcards from faraway places, and realised that the four-year-old in the photograph had gone away for ever.

But there was great amusement in the mother whose front teeth were dropped deliberately - something that comes when youth and beauty is abdicated.

These things contrasted sharply with girls kicked out of the family at 19 and teenagers who stuck out for untidy bedrooms: “a good bed should be all crumpled and gritty”.
So many things had gone past too quickly for reflection as they always do at a reading.

But there were no dull moments and between the poems there were interludes of excellent guitar playing by Simon James. ------- Ms Syms read with Jenny Agutter and
both of these accomplished actresses were worthy of their material in every way -----

Richard Edmonds Birmingham Post 17/07/1995