Mother’s Day: tragedy, grief and the making of the Warrington Bomb film – a discussion with Daniel Mays Sunday 6 October, 4pm

Join the discussion with Colin Parry, Daniel Mays and Nick Leather as we revisit the tragedy that led to the making of the film. We encourage you to attend the free screening of Mother’s Day at the Liverpool Literary Festival at 2pm before joining us for this discussion.

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 also wrote 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 and writer Nick Leather, who’ll discuss the challenges of making a tragedy into a powerful BBC drama. 

Critically acclaimed actors Daniel Mays and Anna Maxwell Martin will also join the discussion online. Daniel and Anna will provide insight into how they approached playing Colin and Wendy’s characters, while Colin will share his thoughts on the drama and his continued work promoting peace.

BAFTA-nominated Daniel Mays has won widespread critical acclaim for roles in various films, television and theatre productions including Made in Dagenham, Atonement, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and ITV drama The Long Shadow.

Anna Maxwell Martin graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1998 with a BA (Hons) in History and has starred in Motherland, Line of Duty and Bleak House.

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 tearms 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.