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Lauren Laverne

BBC Radio 4 - Mums and Sons

Lauren Laverne explores how artists treat the relationship between mums and sons.

Following her programme on fathers and daughters, Lauren Laverne turns her attention to mums and sons to see the various ways artists are  using the relationship in their work. 

The relationship between mothers and sons as depicted in the arts is complex and, as anyone familiar with Medea's story will attest, not always terribly positive. 

As Lauren Laverne discovers, however, there are many examples of stories, films and dramas in which the love between mums and sons is very much celebrated, and as a mother of two boys herself, Lauren is very keen to unpick the particular facets of the relationship as depicted on page, stage and screen.

She meets Sophie Ellis Bextor, mother of four boys, and hears about carving out a space in which she can continue her career as a singer - even if that has meant at times recording songs with a baby in her arms. 

Patrick Ness is the author of the novel 'A Monster Calls' and also wrote the screenplay for the successful film. He tells Lauren how the story, about a boy dealing with the imminent death of his mum from cancer, was originally conceived by another author, Siobhan Dowd, who died before getting chance to complete it. 

Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, a highly successful mother and son band from Kansas, talk about  how they came to play together and the various upsides of being together on the road. 

Finally, Lauren meets Jonathan Butterell and Dan Gillespie Sells, who helped create the West End hit 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie', the musical version of a true story about a teenage boy from County Durham who is determined to go to the school prom in a dress. The story appealed to both Jonathan and Dan because each of them recognised the 'fierce and open hearted relationship' they shared with their own mothers. 

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Geoff Bird


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