Aim

Bring MUMMY’S DEAD, LONG LIVE MUMMY! to Edinburgh Fringe 2026 - debut play by actor/author Koël Purie that debunks the myth of motherhood.

“God couldn’t be everywhere, so he created mothers.”

Of course, he could be everywhere. He’s God.

He chose not to be because, in his wisdom, he knew that being a mother is the craziest job of them all.

Anyone who tells you differently is either delegating, or lying, or lying about delegating.

Mummy’s Dead, Long Live Mummy! is a dark comedy where four mothers battle their gods, some pull their own hair out in exhausted defeat, while others are publicly humiliated  by their spitting image.

Ranging from a Bible-bashing trad wife to a pot-smoking Hijabi, the mothers fight bullies, condoms, cucumbers, leaking breasts, devastating diagnosis, and each other. Their only recourse is to form a reluctant sisterhood forged through the universal aches of motherhood.

After a hugely successful tour in India and Paris, we will present this piece for national and international audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe. For this to happen...

We need your help

Performing at the Fringe is an honour for an original play by an Indian writer, but it comes at a huge cost. The festival is the biggest and most popular theatre event in the world, which has led to rising prices and financial barriers beyond the means of independent theatre companies like ours.

Below, you’ll read why this piece is so important, why it deserves a larger audience, and why it connects so deeply with people. 

However, without your financial support, none of that can happen. To cover our fixed costs alone (flights, accommodation, venue hire, and related expenses), we need at least £7,500. Every penny raised will be stretched to the max (like most mothers know how to) and be put to good use.

Funds raised through this Crowdfunder will go towards venue and registration costs, as well as travel, rehearsals, PR, and marketing for our show.

Our team is made up of an exceptionally talented and diverse group of anglophone theatre-makers based in Paris, who have already given their blood, sweat, and countless hours of unpaid time to this project. They will continue to do so because this story is that close to the bone.

Why this play?

Actor turned playwright, Koël Purie Rinchet, got caught smoking by her 8-year-old. She denied it because this was not only a rare indulgence, but, in truth, she was hiding by the garbage bins in her building to avoid the drama of bedtime. She knew then she had to write this dark comedy to carry on being “Mummy” relentlessly. Mothers all around her were secretly falling apart, silently screaming for help but too conditioned to debunk the glorification of motherhood.

In this divided world, Koël found the fears that separate us can also deeply bind and unite us. Her dream for this play to go beyond the stage to become a movement began to take shape first in Paris and then on tour in India. The piece is not only receiving standing ovations, but becoming both a conversation and a safe space for parents to weep quietly or laugh loudly.

In Bengaluru, the audience leaned in so much they began responding to the characters with stories of their own, blurring the line between audience and actor.

After every performance the audience have felt compelled to stay back and share their own trials and joys.  

Reviews & Audience Reaction ★★★★★

Mummy’s Dead, Long Live Mummy! will be at the Fringe for one week only after sold-out runs in Paris and India. Come be part of the conversation and help us grow beyond the stage.

Who we are

The cast are all anglophone Parisians. Koël trained at RADA, screen credits include Bollywood blockbusters (Rock On!), BAFTA winners (Dirty War), and the upcoming season 2 of Mobland. 

Tiffany Hofstetter (Hacks, The Beast, and will be seen Sean Mcnamara’s Home), 

Laura Woody (New:the improvised musical, l’insolent Roland Garros, Cléopâtre:La reine louve and Assassins)  

Viviane Bossina (The Substance, The Emigracja XD and soon in Netflix’s Assasin’s Creed).

Multi-award winning director Olivier Raynal adds the male perspective (screen credits include L’Auberge Espagnole, The Crown, Outlander, The Substance).

Donate what you can

Whether it’s £5 or £5,000 your support will give a little more life to Mummy’s Dead, Long Live Mummy! Make us feel like we matter, the play is worth it. Not a penny will be wasted. 

Art and entertainment have the power to connect and see us through the toughest of times. Be part of this journey. 

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 31st August 2026 at 10:57am