9 Reasons Why Mortal Fools Should Be On Your Radar

This is an advert - all words are my own.

I was recently introduced to Mortal Fools - a local theatre company that started life in a village hall in Northumberland back in 2012 and is now an award-winning charity facilitating wonderful work with and for young people across North East England and beyond.

I was lucky enough to watch one of their recent productions (Melva) at Gosforth Civic Theatre which you may have spotted me raving about over on Facebook.

Melva is a play with supporting workshops aimed at children aged 7-11 which tackles / opens conversations about anxiety in children. The production has toured local schools and reached over 2500 school children and there have been a couple of public performances too. The play received such a brilliant response that it may be coming back for another run. Watch this space.......

We were all provided with a badge and a key message as we left Melva

It was a play which resonated so much with my daughter Heidi, was eye-opening for me & had a serious message yet was light-hearted and funny too - we giggled so much and left feeling uplifted and armed with tools to deal with life's worries (or worrits as they are known in the play).

This is the kind of theatre I can get behind and I am so excited to see what the next few years have in store for Mortal Fools. I truly believe they are a company we should support and thought I would share a few reasons why they are so brilliant.

1 - Their Ethos

A company with proper values they truly stand by is something that is quite sadly, a rarity these days. Mortal Fools are one of the good guys - they have a clear set of values and having met some of the team myself and seeing how passionate they are about the work that they do, it is clear that these run through every part of the company.

Aspects that really stand out for me are that everyone matters, they are not afraid of failure, they encourage authenticity and have co-creation and kindness at the heart of everything they do. Honestly, my heart just sings reading this!

2 - Helping Young People Change the World

Mortal Fools really champion young people. In a world where our teens are often demonised, it is brilliant to have someone like Mortal Fools who will always have their back and provide a safe space.

Mortal Fools are not afraid to challenge and discuss the issues our young people face today. Their new show Relentless (which I have just bought tickets for to see with Harry) is aimed at those aged 13+ and is a show about what it means to be growing up and getting by as a young person in 2020 and some of the hopes and pressures they feel.

It is theatre made for young people by young people and something I am very much looking forward to watching. I am confident it will be just as eye-opening for me as Melva was and I hope it helps Harry realise that the feelings young people have are normal and he is not alone. 

If you are interested in watching Relentless, tickets are available to purchase from £3 here. 

3 - Youth Theatre

Mortal Fools run weekly Youth Theatre classes across Northumberland for young people aged 7-19. Sessions are aimed at building confidence, developing skills and engaging creativity in a safe environment. You can find out more about Youth Theatre and make an enquiry here. 

4 - Work in Local Schools

I may go off on a bit of a tangent here so please bear with me. I know from first-hand experience from my time volunteering on the budget committee as a local school governor that our schools have been facing horrendous cuts over the past few years.

Schools have had to make tough decisions and often, it is the arts which are the first to go. The expense of specialist teachers can no longer be justified, cut-backs need to be made on materials and along with the pressure to perform well in SATs, I feel like it is definitely the arts that have suffered the most. They just are not a priority anymore and this makes me so angry!

My kids are all super academic but they also thrive when it comes to the arts - it is their chance to be creative, let their hair down a bit, think outside of the box.....With all of the stress and pressure that children face these days, the arts are more important than ever. I really feel like they should be given a top priority and not be so low down on the list.   

Mortal Fools offer school packages at a massively subsidised rate which offer young people the chance to enjoy theatre, explore their feelings and improve their wellbeing. They recently toured local schools with Melva and were able to share their message with over 2500 children.  Of everything that Mortal Fools does, I really feel like their work in schools is of the most importance.

5 - Thought-Provoking Performances You Can Book

Melva at Gosforth Civic Theatre

Sometimes I get a little jealous when the kids have watched something with school or I see something and think it looks brill but then discover it isn't showing at a local theatre. Luckily with Mortal Fools, they also bring their performances to the public and champion some of our best local venues across the North East.  Ticket prices are always excellent too. You can find out more and book upcoming shows here. 

6 - A Night Out With Teens

Teens and young people are actually brilliant company. Some of the best conversations I have in my life now are with Harry. They really have a lot to say, and teens these days are super interesting and more informed than any generation before them. Some of the things Harry comes out with blows my mind! Watching a Mortal Fools production with a young person and having a little insight into their world is actually a cracking way to spend an evening. 

7 - Adult Training

Mortal Fools are a team of highly experienced facilitators and practitioners. They offer training and workshops across a whole range of subject areas including leadership practice, public speaking, communication, resilience and practical skills. Previous workshop clients include Virgin Money, Newcastle University and National Trust.

By booking and taking part in a workshop, you can help to provide 2 bursary places for young people from low-income families to take part in youth theatre sessions so you will be giving something back to the community too.

You can find out more about Adult Training and book upcoming workshops here.  

8 -Future Ready Project 

I was really interested to read about Future Ready. The programme uses the processes of creating and performing as a vehicle to develop confidence, aspirations and social & emotional skills for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to help them prepare for the transition into adult life and the world of work after education.

You can find out more about how schools can get involved with Future Ready here. 

9 - Theatre Exchange and Ensemble Project 

Led by Mortal Fools, Young People's Theatre Exchange is a new network of partners who have the core aim of advocating & developing high-quality youth theatre in Northern England. I refer you back to my mini-rant about school funding and why I think this is so important.


Youth Theatre is fantastic and I am so pleased Mortal Fools really champion and push for growth in this sector. I am guessing there are a fair few barriers in their way but collaborating and working with others to achieve this definitely seems to be the way forward.

Ensemble Young Company is a branch of Mortal Fools for young people aged 14-19. Members work together over a longer period of time to produce a full production which then goes on tour. They are the ONLY theatre company in the North East touring Youth Theatre and it gives young people so much valuable experience as the production tours across professional theatre venues to proper paying audiences (Relentless is their latest production which you can buy tickets for here).

How You Can Support Mortal Fools 

1 - Go and see a show 

They are inexpensive, tackle real issues, are thought-provoking, use local venues and are a cracking night out. Support Mortal Fools in person and book one of their upcoming shows here. 

2 - Sign up to the Mortal Fools Mailing List   

Signing up to the Mortal Fools Mailing List is FREE and a fab way to find out about new shows and opportunities. You can sign up here. 

3 - Follow & Engage with Mortal Fools on Social Media

If you like a little sneaky peek at what Mortal Fools are up to and all the behind the scenes action, Social Media is the place to be. Find their accounts below:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram 

4 - Nominate Mortal Fools for a Journal Culture Award  

Melva was only made possible thanks to funding from the Arts Council. If Mortal Fools win awards, they are more likely to gain more funding for future projects. Mortal Fools receive no public funding!

You can nominate Mortal Fools for a Culture Award here.  Scroll down to the Arts Council Award and click on that box to enter. It takes 2 minutes and info you need includes:

• Social Media Handle: @MortalFoolsUK
• Postcode: NE42 5AA
• Website : www.mortalfools.org.uk

Nominations close on 21 March 2020. 

5 - Ask your workplace to consider sponsoring a project 

I know that many lovely workplaces sponsor specific charities each year and Mortal Fools feels like a very worthwhile cause to me. They offer a variety of sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and are keen to collaborate  -  email Kiz@MortalFools.org.uk for details. 

6 - Sign up to Easy Fundraising 

Easy Fundraising is an easy and FREE way to support Mortal Fools as you shop online. Each time you shop with 1000s of online retailers (including Amazon, M&S and Tesco) through the Easy Fundraising website or app, the retailer makes a small donation to Mortal Fools at no additional cost to yourself! It is win-win. Sign up to Easy Fundraising here. 

7 - Book your next work away-day workshop with Mortal Fools 

If you are looking to book a work away day / workshop / training this year, why not book through Mortal Fools?

8 - Donate to the charity 

Mortal Fool relies on charity donations. You can make a one-off or regular donation here or next time it's your birthday and Facebook asks you to pick a cause to support, why not choose Mortal Fools?

Well done for getting to the bottom of this post. It started life as a review of Melva but just kind of grew from there. I really want to get behind Mortal Fools, the work that they do and show my support. They are an example of a brilliant, pioneering local company doing great things for local young people and I want to see them go from strength to strength.