
by jack francis west
Dead Mum

30 SEP - 4 OCT | EXPLOSIVES FACTORY
by jack francis west
A darkly funny, gut-punch cabaret about grief, survival, and the chaos of losing everything at 19.
Written and performed by Jack Francis West, the show began in 2021 with a self-produced, sold-out development season after a cancelled cabaret competition and a lockdown full of feelings. It turns out, people wanted to talk about grief, they just didn’t know how. So Jack made a show to force the conversation. Not just with words, but with music, humour and catharsis. Set entirely at his mother’s funeral, Dead Mum is her eulogy: a raw and theatrical unraveling told through songs, childhood journal entries, and brutally candid storytelling. With a fourpiece band dressed as funeral directors, Jack unpacks the year he turned 19. The year he lost his mum to liver cancer, fell into an abusive relationship, and had to figure out what it meant to be alive with no family left.
Inspired by Fleabag, Bo Burnham’s Make Happy, and Baby Reindeer, the show veers wildly between hilarity and heartbreak. The first half disarms with comedy. The second half hits you where it hurts. Because at its core, Dead Mum believes that comedy earns tragedy. Dead Mum isn’t about performing pain, it’s about making space for it. It’s about connection through grief instead of isolation. And by the end, maybe we all walk out feeling a little less alone.
VENUE
DURATION
60 Minutes
WARNINGS
ACCESSIBILITY
Explosives Factory is accessed via a flight of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.


DATES + TIMES
Tue 30 Sep 8:45PM
Wed 1 Oct 8:45PM
Thu 2 Oct 8:45PM
Fri 3 Oct 8:45PM
Sat 4 Oct 8:45PM
Theatre Works has a lockout policy for latecomers. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to ensure you don't miss out.
Refunds will not be issued to latecomers.
TICKETS
FULL PRICE
$35.00
CONCESSION
$28.00
$28.00

Theatre Works has been long established as the south-side festival hub in Melbourne.
Theatre Works’ MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL HUB will be buzzing with 17 shows across our two venues - a bold showcase of the full spectrum of independent performance and the brilliant, boundary-pushing artists who make it possible.
*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders

CREDITS
Jack Francis West - Writer / Performer
Isabella Martin - Director
Kasey Wooley - Producer
Adam - Production Manager
Ishan Vivekanantham - Set Designer
Riley Richardson - Musical Director / Band
Teige Cordiner - Band
Eve Pilkington - Band
Lucy Cleminson - Band
MEET THE ARTIST -
