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 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 a fascinating insight into conflict, reconciliation, peacebuilding and how we tell stories to raise awareness and come to terms with tragedy.
Attendees are also encouraged to attend the free screening of Mother’s Day at the Liverpool Literary Festival at 2pm before the discussion.
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