10 September 2025
WE ARE CASTING!
‘I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die’ by Mark Wheeller,
Secondary Schools' Tour London & S East, Spring Term 2026
Casting Breakdown
- 2 x FEMALE performers
- 2 x MALE performers
- Age: 20s who can play ages of 16 to 45
- Key skills: multi-role; good physical theatre/movement; emotional depth, comedy
- Accent will be London/S East and minor variations on this depending on casting
- Any ethnicity: we particularly welcome submissions from ethnically diverse/global majority performers
- Must be confident and experienced in creating exciting ensemble performance work
- Must be a strong, supportive, team member
- Must live/have a London base (inside M25)
- We will require at least 2 x drivers of our company van, so driving licence an advantage
An advantage but not essential:
- Workshop and facilitation experience
- Experience of delivering theatre in education and/or working with a 13-18 years’ audience
- DBS check helpful but can be obtained
- First aid training
Casting process
Closing date for submissions: 6pm, 15 Sep 2025
6pm 18 Sep – invitations to self-tape issued
6pm, 24 Sep – self-tape deadline
6pm, 1 Oct - invitations to in-person auditions issued
8 & 9 Oct – in-person auditions (London)
Actors will not be required to be off-book for the casting, but are expected to be familiar with the text/scenes provided.
The Play
Sixteen-year-old Daniel Spargo-Mabbs died in 2014 after taking a lethal dose of MDMA (ecstasy) at a rave.Playwright Mark Wheeller worked closely with Daniel's family and friends to create ‘I Love You Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’, a verbatim play written from the testimonies of his loved ones and titled with the last words Daniel said to his mother, Fiona, before he died.
The result is a powerful and emotional piece of writing produced with the aim of informing young people, their parents and a wider audience, about the impact of drug use. It is a work of depth, touching on the importance of friendship, family and the emotionally-charged ’teen years.
The events leading up to and beyond Dan’s death are retold from different points of view, giving insight into this popular boy’s personality and his important contribution to the lives of those around him.
The play runs at just under an hour and is a four-hander (2f & 2m). Watch the trailer for ‘I Love You, Mum…’ on our website.
Background
In July 2016, a drug education charity set up by Dan’s parents, the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, commissioned Mark Wheeller to adapt ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’ for touring to schools, colleges and the community as a Theatre in Education tour. The production is aimed at students aged 13 to 18. The play explores issues of choice, risk and consequence, but also friendship, love and loss and the impact of our choices on others.
The 30-minute post-show drug education workshop - delivered by the cast - focuses on informed decision making and risk awareness. It aims to leave no student in any doubt that they always have a choice about the decisions they make and the high risks associated with illegal substance use. Students learn key facts that will help them make informed decisions and arm them with additional tools to put their decisions into practice in a pressured situation. It is definitely not a “just say no” preaching message. The workshop has been developed on strong, evidence-based research.
TiE It Up Theatre has been creating high quality professional touring theatre for secondary schools across the UK since 2018. To-date thousands of young people have seen the play and the overwhelming response to the work has been positive and life-changing.
Director: Cobie Scott-Ward, has performed in previous UK-wide tours of I Love You, Mum and has twice directed our Scottish cast production.
Producer: David Chafer – who has produced every TiE It UP Theatre tour/project to-date and who is also an actor, with many years’ theatre touring experience.
The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation is our touring partner. DSMF is a leading national, evidenced-based, drug education charity. TiE It Up works closely with them to deliver the play and drug education workshops. The Foundation will also fully fund the tour.
Dates
Rehearsals: 5-10 & 12-13 Jan 2026 (8 days)
Tour Wk 0: 14-16 Jan
Tour Wk 1: w/c 19 Jan
Tour Wk 2: w/c 26 Jan
Tour Wk 3: w/c 2 Feb
Tour Wk 4: w/c 9 Feb
HALF TERM w/c 16 Feb (uncontracted week)
Tour Wk 5: w/c 23 Feb
Tour WK 6: w/c 2 Mar
The tour is currently being booked, but all the schools will be located within London boroughs and the South-East.
The working day usually consists of a morning performance in a school, before moving onto a second school relatively nearby for an afternoon performance. There are some days where the team will deliver two performances in the same school. There is a set to unload, build and take down for each performance. Once unloaded, the set-up takes no more than 15 mins. The team will usually arrive approximately one hour to 45 mins before the start of the performance.
Pay & Tour Conditions
£120 per day = rehearsals
£125 per tour day = Nominally, there will be 2 x performances on any given day.
Additional pay can be earned if tour managing (£15/day) or driving (£10/day).
There are no per diems over and above the day rates. Touring will take place in a company provided vehicle, with some additional travel allowance provided where necessary and agreed beforehand.
Accommodation will be provided during the tour if logistically required, but the expectation is for company members to travel to and from home every day.
Please apply via your agent or directly with your CV, Spotlight link (if applicable) and headshot to: David Chafer, Producer, TiE It Up Theatre, david@tiu-theatre.co.uk
This casting breakdown has also been listed on Spotlight.
