Luisa

Luisa Omielan is a comedian. 

She wrote the show Politics for Bitches following her mum’s death from cancer.

“She loved me being on stage, she was so proud of me and I almost felt closer to her – it felt right to do.

If you think about the idea of going on stage to make jokes about your Mum dying, it sounds crass or horrible or selfish or whatever. 

It wasn’t any of those things – for me it was survival; I don’t think I would have survived if I hadn’t had that show.

Grief killed everything I ever knew, everything I thought to be true, my understanding of the world and how it works.

 I couldn’t really function at all that whole year but there’s something about being on stage that felt at home and that’s what was missing – my Mum was ‘home’ and being on stage is my home – if I’m doing a live show I feel very much at home.

 Initially it was incredibly helpful to process what had happened and the unfairness of it all and the anger; it was like a cry for fucking justice or something.

“I’m very grateful for that show and feel very lucky to use what was my job anyway to process my grief”