Review: Scenes from Lost Mothers

July 10, 2025

Zoë Chapman reviewed “Scenes from Lost Mothers” – a powerful theatrical production by Clean Break, developed in collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire and written by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. The play draws from the real-life research of Dr Laura Abbott’s Lost Mothers project and explores the harrowing experiences of pregnant women in prison. Scenes are performed by women with lived experience confronting the trauma of maternal separation and inadequate prison healthcare sparking urgent conversations about justice and reform.

Scenes from Lost Mothers tells the stories of women in prison who are pregnant at the time of their incarceration. Some are waiting to find out if they will be separated from their baby, others have already been compulsorily separated. No matter where you turn, the future seems unbearably bleak. We were lucky enough to see this play at one of two public performances, on 26th March 2025, at the Central School of Speech and Drama’s Embassy Theatre. The performance was followed by a Q&A session with the cast, director, writer and others involved in its production.

As the protagonists navigate various ‘hurdles’ – healthcare standards in custody, access to mother and baby units, general living conditions in prison – a system is exposed that is fundamentally inhumane. This is emphasised by the vivid metaphors used throughout the performance, for example likening the situation to a lioness surrounded by three zookeepers but with no cub. Occasional glimmers of hope are provided by the involvement of women’s organisations, as well as the resilience and bravery displayed by the mothers themselves. However, the unavoidable conclusion is that imprisonment during pregnancy does profound damage to the lives and wellbeing of the women and babies concerned. Even once out of prison, finding suitable housing for those women can lead to further separation and destruction of the mother and baby bond.

Having watched this play, it is hard to imagine any crime that would justify exposing a pregnant person to such a cruel system. It is also an exercise which entirely misses the point: this is not a punishment reserved for murderers and terrorists, etc. The women concerned – in fact, most women prisoners – are in custody in relation to things like repeat shoplifting, or breaching their license conditions. Many have been driven to commit crimes by their financial circumstances, or by their abusers.

Watching this play, it was clear that those involved in its production and performance feel passionately about the issues it explores. Whilst pregnancy in prison is a complex and multifaceted subject involving many stakeholders, the play places the spotlight rightfully back on the mothers who are caught in the maelstrom of a system that was not designed with women in mind, let alone new mothers.

The audience is left with a conviction that compassion and basic humanity preclude continuing with the system as it currently operates. The messages and issues that Scenes from Lost Mothers raises could not be more timely. Recently, it has emerged that a third baby has died after its birth in custody, following the deaths of Aisha Cleary and Brooke Powell in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Additionally Sodexo, the private contractor responsible for running HMP Bronzefield and HMP Peterborough, and the Government are facing legal proceedings by a number of women who were handcuffed during labour. Despite two PPO reports, an inquest, and other internal investigations, it seems that vital lessons have not been learnt. We only hope that the policymakers who see this play are prompted to act on the sobering lessons it teaches, once and for all.

For more info: [Clean Break ]

Scenes from Lost Mothers – Cast and Creatives:

Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti – Playwright

Anna Herrmann – Director

Claire Bayley – Cast

Shabina Cannon – Cast

Ro Florence – Cast

Neetu Singh – Assistant Director

Jida Akil – Designer

Holly Khan – Sound Designer and Composer

Corinne Meredith – Movement Director

Dezh Zhelyazkova – Producer