The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation will be attending Croydon College to watch the 300th performance of the play ‘I Love You, Mum- I Promise I Won’t Die’ by Wizard Theatre on Thursday 12th March, alongside all Level 3 ESOL students.
The Foundation was set up over 5 years ago following the death of Daniel who took an illegal drug on a night out. His parents set up the charity with the aim of helping young people make safer choices around drugs and alcohol. Dan’s mother, Fiona has previously come into the College to talk to students about alcohol and drug awareness.
In May 2014, just months after Dan died, the Foundation commissioned award winning playwright Mark Wheeller to write a play about what happened on that night. The title Mark chose uses Dan’s last words to his mother before he left home. In March 2016 this had its first public performances in Southampton and London, with its premiere at the BRIT school, just a mile from Dan’s home in Croydon.
The play has been professionally toured as a ‘Theatre in Education’ production since 2017; three years with StopWatch Theatre and with Wizard Theatre in 2020. A fifth professional production specifically for Scotland has been commissioned with Tie It Up Theatre which will be in Edinburgh schools for two weeks in June this year.
By the end of this current tour, around 55,000 young people will have seen the play, plus many parents, teachers, professionals and other community members at public evening performances.
Mark Wheeller has also recently published a play about David Bowie, an alumni of Croydon College and will attend the 300th performance with the Foundation at Croydon College.
