‘A title that makes you laugh, a story that makes you think, and a
production you won’t forget.’
Wiping My Mother’s Arse (yes, that really is the title) is the kind of play that immediately grabs your
attention before you’ve even taken your seat. But beneath the provocative title is a surprisingly tender,
darkly funny and often painfully relatable story about family, ageing, care and the complicated
relationships we have with the people closest to us.
Written by Iain Heggie, the play originally premiered at the Traverse Theatre in 2001, winning a Fringe
First. Twenty-five years later, it has been given a new lease of life at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, with
Sam Hardie at the helm. Set within a care home, the story centres around Andrene, an elderly woman whose memory is beginning to fail her, her son Derek, and Larry, the carer who has developed a close relationship with her. When Derek arrives with his girlfriend Kath, long-buried family secrets, questionable motives and a whole lot of chaos begin to unravel.
And what makes the play work so well is its ability to constantly sit between comedy and something
much darker. There are moments when the audience is laughing out loud, only to realise a few
seconds later that what they are laughing at is actually rather heartbreaking. It tackles uncomfortable
subjects — ageing, dementia, care homes, family responsibility and financial exploitation — without
ever becoming relentlessly heavy.
Anne Kidd is wonderful as Andrene, bringing both warmth and vulnerability to a character who is
navigating a world that is increasingly difficult for her to understand. There is a real tenderness to the
performance, but Kidd also finds plenty of comedy in Andrene’s confusion and unpredictability.
Johnny McKnight brings his trademark comic energy to Larry, delivering a performance full of charm
and impeccable timing. McKnight is particularly good at finding the humanity underneath the humour,
making Larry instantly likeable while gradually revealing the complexities of his character.
Lisa Livingstone and David Rankine complete the four-person cast, and the chemistry between the
ensemble is one of the production’s greatest strengths. With only four actors, there is nowhere to hide
and this cast absolutely holds the stage.
Sam Hardie’s direction keeps the pace moving and allows the play’s darker themes to sit comfortably
alongside its more outrageous comedy. The result is a production that never feels afraid to make its
audience uncomfortable, but equally never forgets to entertain them.
There is also something particularly Scottish about the humour here. The language is blunt, the
situations are wonderfully awkward, and the characters feel recognisable in a way that makes the
comedy land even harder. The title might initially make you laugh, cringe or wonder what on earth
you’ve agreed to watch, but by the end it feels almost secondary to what is a very human story.
Wiping My Mother’s Arse is funny, uncomfortable, moving and, at times, unexpectedly poignant. It
asks some pretty big questions about what we owe our parents, what happens when families fail to
communicate and how we care for those who can no longer care for themselves – all while making
you laugh.
It’s also a brilliant reminder that theatre doesn’t always need to be comfortable to be enjoyable.
Sometimes the productions that make you squirm, laugh and think all at once are the ones that stay
with you longest.
If the title has put you off, don’t let it. Go and see it.
Wiping My Mother’s Arse runs at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre Studio until 5 September 2026. Tickets here.