What is ‘Who Cares’?

Who Cares began in 2016 when The Lowry and Salford Young Carers Service commissioned a new production from the theatre company LUNG that would shine a light on the untold stories of young carers in Salford.

It is estimated that there are more than 700,000 young carers in the UK. These are children and young people, aged 17 and under, who provide unpaid care to a family member because of a disability, illness, mental health condition, or a drug / alcohol addiction. These young people are often manage a wide range of responsibilities from practical tasks like cooking, managing budgets and picking up prescriptions, through to providing personal care and emotional support for their families. What’s more, they are often managing these responsibilities under the radar of professionals, schoolteachers and friends.

We know that many young carers are not aware there is support available to them. We wanted to commission a piece of theatre that would help young carers identify themselves, and help the adults and peers around them better understand the reality these young carers are facing. We also wanted to give young carers a voice in front of the politicians and decision makers who can lobby for a change in policy so that there is more support for young carers across the country.

This is a kind of theatre where actors use the actual words of real life people onstage. LUNG followed and interviewed a group of young carers in Salford for a year to build up a picture of their day to day lives. LUNG also talked to teachers, politicians and the young carers’ parents. Then they crafted that into a professional production, working with the young carers throughout to make sure that what was being seen onstage was honest, authentic and true to them.

The Play

The Alarm Rings, You Take a Breath, Then it Starts...

Sitting at the back of the bus, skipping the lunch queue and skiving lessons. At school Nicole, Jade and Connor are just like everybody else. But when they get home, things are very different.

Nicole started caring for her mum when she was four. Every morning Nicole helps her get washed, put on clothes and eat breakfast. Jade has always cared for her brother, but she never expected to look after dad as well - now she juggles two lots of appointments, two lots of prescriptions, two lots of assessment forms. Connor cares for his mum. But he doesn't like to talk about it.

Adapted from real-life testimonies, this bold and pertinent piece of documentary theatre examines our failing system, the impact of austerity and what happens when a child becomes the parent.

Since the first show in 2016, Who Cares has been seen by over 7500 audience members in schools, youth zones and theatres including CAST Doncaster, Folkestone Quarterhouse, Arts Depot, Action Transport Theatre, Rosehill Theatre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Who Cares is a winner of the Sit Up Award for Engagement, Mervyn Stutter Spirit of the Fringe Award and Summerhall Lustrum Award.

Who Cares, was written by Matt Woodhead and co-produced by The Lowry and LUNG in partnership with Gaddum. Who Cares was funded by Curious Minds, Arts Council England and the Oglesby Charitable Trust.  

Cast & Creative

PRODUCTION TEAM/CREATIVES

Writer / Director - Matt Woodhead
Tour Producer - Ellie Claughton for LUNG 
Producer for The Lowry - Claire Symmonds
Engagement Manager - Adam McGuigan 
Set Designer - Jen McGinley 
Lighting Designer - Will Monks
Sound Designer - Owen Crouch
Technical Stage Manager - Stacey Standford 
Production Manager - Andraes Ayling 
Dramaturg - Helen Monks

The play, Who Cares, has toured around the country for the last three years, visiting Folkestone Quarterhouse, Action Transport Theatre, Rosehill Theatre, CAST Doncaster, Arts Depot and many schools, youth zones and community settings. Who Cares is a gripping verbatim theatre production based on a year of interviews that offers a rare insight into a year in the lives of young carers from Salford. The play aims to help identify ‘hidden’ young carers in society and signpost them to support available through local young carers services. In 2021, Who Cares was adapted for radio and was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 9th February 2021. Who Cares has also been adapted into a filmed production with accompanying educational resources that will be available from Summer 2021. 

★★★★★ “Perfectly executed... utterly shattering. LUNG have created a genre-defining show in Who Cares” The Crumb

★★★★ “Tear jerking... emotionally raw and theatrically slick” The Guardian

★★★★“Please go and see this - your sense of justice will be outraged and so it should be... This is vital and important theatre” One4Review

★★★★“Brutal but beautifully done... Heartbreaking at every turn - I wish all our politicians would watch it” The Guardian

Alongside the tour, LUNG, The Lowry, Gaddum and the young carers involved in the show launched the Who Cares Campaign.