Mother’s Day: tragedy, grief and the making of the Warrington Bomb film

Mother’s Day: tragedy, grief and the making of the Warrington Bomb film with Colin Parry, Daniel Mays and Nick Leather

On the eve of Mother’s Day 1993, 12-year-old Tim Parry and three-year-old Johnathan Ball were killed by an IRA bomb in Warrington town centre. Following the tragedy Tim’s parents, Colin and Wendy Parry, dedicated themselves to working for peace, establishing the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation in Warrington to help young people, victims of terrorism and communities in conflict. Colin has also written Tim: An Ordinary Boy, a book about Tim’s life and the family’s journey following his death.

To mark the 25th Anniversary of the tragedy, Warrington-born screenwriter Nick Leather consulted with the Parrys to produce Mother’s Day, a bold BBC drama which tells the story of the aftermath of the Warrington bomb. Through a star-studded cast, Mother’s Day details how Sue McHugh (Vicky McClure), an unassuming and normally shy Dublin housewife is spurred into action by the tragedy and forms an alliance with the Parrys (Daniel Mays and Anna Maxwell Martin) to campaign for an end to the Troubles.

At the Liverpool Literary Festival, we’re hosting a unique discussion between Colin Parry, BAFTA-nominated actor Daniel Mays, Anna Maxwell Martin and Nick Leather, who’ll discuss the challenges of making a tragedy into a powerful BBC drama. Daniel will provide insight into how he approached playing Colin’s character, while Colin himself will share his thoughts on the drama and his continued work in promoting peace.

Hosted by Dr Alex Coupe and Dr Pauline Hadaway from our Department of English, this one-off event will provide fascinating insight into conflict, reconciliation, peacebuilding and how we tell stories to raise awareness and come to terms with tragedy.

Please note, there is a free screening of Mother's Day BBC Drama before this event 2pm-3.30pm. You dont need to book seperately for the screening if you have a ticket for this event.

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All passes will include reserved seating in the lecture theatre, plus a host of other exclusive VIP benefits. Please note, all types of festival passes do not include the launch event on Friday 4th October.

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