Performer Sarel Madziya.

The impressive skill of crafting flowers into thoughtful arrangements, floristry quietly impacts our lives, flowers integrated into various occasions and ceremonies – adding a deeper level of sentiment and meaning. Exploring this art form within her work Fringe First Award Winning Funeral Flowers, writer Emma Dennis-Edwards presents the story of 17 year old Angelique who longs to be a florist and is forced to navigate the care system when her mother is incarcerated. Initially performed in 2018 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the show has gone on to be performed at The Bunker in 2019 and The Roundhouse in 2020 to critical acclaim. Currently on a tour, the show’s last two stops will be at Exeter Phoenix on Monday 9th May and Nottingham Playhouse on Friday 13th May 2022 – with the lead role performed by Sarel Madziya. Emma tells us more about what expect from the show!

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The one-woman Funeral Flowers follows a 17 year old Angelique, who is both played and written by Emma Davis Edwards. With a mother in prison, a father out of the picture and a wolf in sheep’s clothing for a boyfriend, Angelique has some hefty odds to overcome to pursue her dreams in floristry. Directed by Rachel Nwokoro, the plot begins on a positive note. Edwards performs in a colloquial manner, laid back she chats with the audience as if they have popped over for a cup of tea and a catch-up. But with the fourth wall broken, Angelique begins to let us in, and with it we discover her harrowing experience.

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