Look At Me Now, Mummy

TOPICS & THEMES

Women and Girls
Motherhood
Parenting

Look At Me Now, Mummy contains content that some people may find upsetting.

Adult supervision for young people (under 14) is advised.

Director/Choreographer Charlotte Vincent’s Look At Me Now, Mummy, is a comi-tragic one-woman show created with long-term Polish collaborator Aurora Lubos, eight months after giving birth to her first child.

Set in a dishevelled and chaotic kitchen, Look At Me Now, Mummy is an intimate, funny and moving portrait of a mother’s desire to look the part, whilst not really knowing what part it is that she is supposed to be playing. It’s about trial and error and theatrical failure, with a baby always crying somewhere in the distance.

Originally created in 2008 as a 45 minute live solo, Look At Me Now, Mummy was re-staged as a looping, 5-hour durational performance as part of VDT’s 21 YEARS / 21 Works: a collection of live production, film and engagement events that toured to Shoreditch Town Hall and Southbank Centre in London, Warwick Arts Centre in Coventry, Yorkshire Dance in Leeds and Brighton Festival in 2015.

Director’s Notes

Look At Me Now, Mummy was made in late 2007/08 months after Aurora happily gave birth to her first son. It’s a dark and intimate portrait of a woman tangled up in her own imagination, caught between conflicting roles as a performer and as a mother, never sure whether she should stay on or leave the stage.

Look At Me Now, Mummy reads like a series of unpredictable scenes from shows that will never be made, a number of fleeting, improvised ideas and that seem momentarily convincing, but don’t stack up to much. The work flits between personal collapse and performative presence – the kind of circular madness that is motherhood.

Look At Me Now, Mummy is concerned with the choices a woman makes about making work or making babies, about being an artist or being a mother. Aurora drops in and out of performance states, unsure of how or why to continue with the show.

The work can be read as a game that a childless woman invents to make sense of her position. Or a portrayal of a woman who has lost a baby. Or a portrait of someone yearning to have a child. Or a woman who has one but is on the edge of constant failure. Or a lonely performer questioning her need for the show to go on. What the viewers bring to the work determines how it is read.

Context

Made in 2008, Look At Me Now, Mummy was originally co-commissioned by Danceworks UK (South Yorkshire), The Point, (Eastleigh), Lakeside Arts Centre (Nottingham) and The Tron Theatre (Glasgow) and funded by Arts Council England.

It has toured as a solo show, was programmed as part of VDT’s ACT ONE Double Bill in 2008 alongside Test Run and formed a significant section of VDT’s 30 Year Anniversary production PLAY in 2024.

Links

Test Run and PLAY by VDT.

Still Alive: Installation by Aurora Lubos, programmed as part of Juncture Festival 2012, in Leeds, curated by Charlotte Vincent.

Credits

Directed and Designed by

Performed and Devised by

Rehearsal Director

Anna Williams

Production / Technical Manager

, Elb Hall

Original Lighting Design 2008

James Harrison

Videos

Look At Me Now, Mummy - Explained.

Photos

A person in a gray dress sits pensively on a cluttered table, surrounded by scattered objects and balloons, in a dimly lit room, evoking thoughtfulness.

A woman with a bow in her hair, wearing an apron, playfully holds a plate with a lit candle. Her face is smeared with cream, conveying a light-hearted mood.

A woman in a playful pose on a messy stage, wearing a layered outfit with a skirt and heels. The scene includes scattered balloons and props, suggesting a theatrical performance.

A woman in patterned clothing and apron looks tense as she holds a paper above a flaming pot on a stove. Bright flames and sparks fly.

A woman stands on stage wearing a dark floral dress, arms raised expressively. Her face shows a mix of determination and concern, set against a dark background.

A person with shoulder-length blonde hair is looking to the side against a black background. They wear a dark floral-patterned top and have a pensive expression.

A person on stage, smiling with arms raised, holding colorful bunting. They wear a dark patterned robe, with a blue balloon on the floor. Festive atmosphere.

Woman lies on a table, holding a knife. She's wrapped in white paper, wearing a floral robe, with a contemplative expression in a dimly lit setting.

A woman energetically spreads flour on a cluttered table surrounded by scattered items, including a fan and balloons, creating a lively and chaotic scene.

A performer dramatically leans back in front of a cluttered desk, surrounded by balloons, flour, and appliances. The scene conveys chaos and creativity.

A performer strikes a dramatic pose in a cluttered kitchen setting. A fan blows on her, while she waves a cloth. The scene is chaotic yet lively.

A woman in a tattered outfit holds a blue balloon, standing amidst a messy room with scattered papers and objects, conveying a lively, chaotic scene.

A dancer strikes a dramatic, expressive pose in a cluttered room, surrounded by papers and kitchen items. The atmosphere is dynamic and chaotic.

A woman in a floral robe stands on a cluttered stage with scattered papers and objects, arms raised in an expressive, dramatic pose. The setting is theatrical.

A woman in a black robe joyfully tosses white paper into the air in a cluttered room, expressing chaos and creativity. Papers and art supplies cover the floor.

A woman in a floral dress holds a flaming object in a disheveled room. The table is cluttered; her expression is surprised and tense.

A woman in a dynamic dance pose wearing a black top and white skirt. She’s in heels, in front of a cluttered table, conveying energy and creativity.

A woman lies on a table, wearing a dark floral robe, her belly exposed with paper towels. Her expression is tense, suggesting discomfort or contemplation.

A woman in a floral robe and apron, holding a spatula and whisk, stands confidently at a table. She is surrounded by scattered kitchen items and a yellow balloon.

A performer in a dynamic pose leans against a table amidst scattered objects, wearing a white tutu and black top. A red balloon lies nearby on a cluttered floor.

A woman in a floral robe poses playfully with animated facial expressions. A carton of milk is on the table in a dimly lit setting, evoking a whimsical tone.

A performer in a dynamic pose on a cluttered stage, wearing a floral jacket and tutu. The scene is playful and chaotic, with scattered props and a red balloon.

A woman in a dramatic pose leans back near a cluttered table with a fan, mixer, and scattered balloons. The scene conveys chaos and theatricality.

A woman in a floral top and white skirt bends slightly near a cluttered table with a fan, blender, and wires. She smiles widely, conveying a playful mood.

Woman in a floral blouse playfully uses a yellow balloon with a microwave, staged with a pot and flour on top. The scene conveys a humorous, whimsical tone.

A woman joyfully holds colorful bunting on stage, surrounded by a blender and kitchen items on a table, set against a dark background.

A woman with blond hair and a brown turtleneck sits at a table with a solemn expression. On the table are a blender, a vodka bottle, and a mixer.

A woman in a thoughtful pose holds a pink balloon to her lips. She sits at a table with a yellow towel and kitchen utensils, creating a contemplative atmosphere.

A woman sitting at a cluttered table, resting her head on her hand, looking contemplative. The table holds bread, a bowl, a glass, and a lit candle.

A woman rests her head on a cloth beside a microwave, looking contemplative. Nearby are muffin tins, flags, and a plate of food, suggesting a kitchen setting.

A person in motion with blurred arms claps in dim lighting against a dark background, conveying energy and intensity.

A person in a beige top and gray apron moves expressively against a dark backdrop, eyes closed, conveying a sense of emotion or performance.

A woman in a beige dress leans over a kitchen table with baking ingredients, including flour and a mixer. The setting suggests a focused, creative atmosphere.

A woman in a patterned dress stands at a cluttered table on a dimly lit stage. The table is strewn with kitchen items and debris, conveying chaos and contemplation.

A woman stands on a cluttered stage in a messy kitchen setting, arms raised, conveying exasperation. Items like a blender and a microwave surround her.

A woman in a playful pose stands on a messy stage with scattered flour, balloons, and cooking utensils. She wears a tutu, robe, and heels, exuding a humorous and lively vibe.

Press

“...an inevitable descent into melancholy follows, which feels all the more harrowing thanks to our complicity in what has come before.”

Shona Craven, The Herald, 1 February 2008

“Vincent has long felt that female directors are second-class citizens in the dance world - left to mother their companies, never fast-tracked - but this feminist subtext never overpowers Lubos's exquisitely pitched performance or compromises the choreography's harrowingly sustained focus. Small but beautiful.”

Luke Jennings, The Observer, 9 March 2008

“Lubos captures the exhausted, surreal derangement that comes from being a new mother… It’s superb performances such as these, as well as Vincent’s own choreography, that have ensured the company’s survival.”

Judith Mackrell, The Guardian, 6 March 2015

“Charlotte Vincent is… one of the most important feminist artists working in Britain today.”

Luke Jennings, The Observer, 15 March 2015

Audience Feedback

“Loved it! Look At Me Now, Mummy made me hold my breath!”

Audience Member, March 2015.

Choreographic Notebooks

Marketing

Below you will find examples of marketing material for Look At Me Now, Mummy. It was originally produced as a double bill with another VDT production called Test Run.