I Told My Mum I Was Going on an RE Trip… @ Contact Theatre

“I told my mum I was going on an R.E. trip and I needed to be at Piccadilly Bus Station for seven o’clock in the morning, in order to get to the clinic by half past eight…”

Abortion. A third of women have had one, but how many have you heard speak openly about theirs? 20 Stories High, Contact Theatre and writer and director Julia Samuels shine a light on this lingering taboo in I told my Mum I was going on an RE trip…, a production debuting at Contact next month. Informed by women’s real-life experiences of pregnancy and abortion, the young female cast marry verbatim speech with music, beats, and rhyme to bring to life the stories which often go untold, swept under elaborate cover up stories such as the one which inspired this production’s title. A moving, humorous and refreshingly frank look at under-discussed topic, the play aims to kickstart a conversation by doing away with the stuff of dry sex ed lectures and instead taking this relatable and accessible approach to the issue.

“And then they did a scan and I seen the blob move its head like that. It felt like it went ‘Hiya’. In my head I could never… like from then it was like a person to me.”

The show premieres at Manchester’s Contact Theatre from 1- 4 February, before touring nationally. Book your place for a Manchester showing via Contact Theatre’s website, or check the 20 Stories High website, or join their mailing list for updates!