How to Cry in a House Full of Children: The play every mother needs to see this November

It’s 7am. You’ve got one child refusing to wear socks, another asking existential questions about the universe, and a work email pinging with the phrase “just circling back.” You haven’t had a hot cup of tea since 2019. Somewhere in the chaos, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and think: Who even am I anymore?

If any of that sounds familiar, then there’s a play coming to London this November that you absolutely need to know about. And trust me, it’s not your average night at the theatre.

From Uruguay to London: A mother’s story that crosses borders

How to Cry in a House Full of Children (Cómo Llorar en una Casa Llena de Niños) is a one-woman play by Uruguayan writer Victoria Vera, and it arrives in London this autumn after sold-out performances in Uruguay.

Brought to the UK by True Life Productions and part of the Voila! Theatre Festival, this is a raw, poetic, darkly funny and deeply human piece of theatre about motherhood, identity, work, love and the sheer, relentless pressure of being everything to everyone.

Performed in both English and Spanish, the play follows a contemporary woman and mother through what can only be described as her “day of rage.” A seemingly ordinary series of events spirals beyond her control: an awkward encounter with a work colleague, a flood of WhatsApp audio messages confessing to her partner, a tow truck taking her car away.

These events lead to her temporary separation from her children and expose her mental health to public scrutiny and an unsympathetic judicial system.

Sounds intense, right? It is. But it’s also funny, moving, and profoundly recognisable.

What makes this play so special

Through a flexible, light and minimalist staging, Vera’s text is presented, performed, danced and read. The play takes the form of a lecture as its starting point, but it quickly blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality.

The creators’ own experiences, and the difficulties they encounter as women and mothers during the creative process, become part of the audio-visual narrative. It’s a clever, innovative approach that plays with the conventions of autofiction and theatre, inviting audiences to question what’s real and what’s performed.

Humour, movement, dance and screen-based storytelling become powerful tools for exploring a deeply personal experience, while opening up a much wider conversation about motherhood, anger, mental health, care, social expectations, and the systems that surround women.

The result is an intimate yet universal work that invites audiences to recognise themselves, or perhaps someone they know, within its contradictions, frustrations and moments of pure absurdity.

Why this story matters now

Motherhood, caregiving, desire, identity, anger, love and solitude all come to the fore in a world that demands women juggle motherhood, their bodies, their desires, workplace performance and education, all while maintaining a perpetual facade of calm and perfection.

Sound exhausting? That’s the point.

This is a fierce plea about the incompatibilities between motherhood and work-life balance. It’s a story that leaves no room for indifference. And it’s one that London audiences, especially parent, will find deeply resonant.

Part of the Voila! Theatre Festival

How to Cry in a House Full of Children has been selected for the 2026 Voila! Theatre Festival, taking place from 2–22 November 2026 across multiple London venues.

Voila! is a pan-lingual, multidisciplinary theatre festival dedicated to breaking through borders, language barriers and cultural assumptions. Since 2012, it has built a reputation for presenting international, multicultural and multilingual work, supporting more than 1,500 artists and over 380 shows.

This year’s festival describes itself as a meeting point for cultures, creativity and theatrical innovation, bringing together international artists, emerging voices and established innovators.

The play is part of this year’s international programme, representing Uruguayan theatre within London’s diverse theatrical landscape.

The details

What: How to Cry in a House Full of Children

When: Friday 6th November, 7pm

Where: The Space Theatre, 269 Westferry Rd, London E14 3RS

Tickets:

• Via The Space: https://space.org.uk/event/how-to-cry-in-a-house-full-of-children/
• Via Voila! Festival: https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/how-to-cry-in-a-house-full-of-children/

Performed in: English and Spanish (translated to approximately 60%, with plenty of audiovisual and movement)

Credits

Playwriter and Director: Victoria Vera
Actress and Choreographer: Carolina Piñeyro Duarte
Theatrical Design and Production: Malena Paz
Assistant Director: Valeria de Souza
Audiovisual Content Creator: Maria Victoria Parada
Graphic Design and Identity: Natalia Vera
Sound Environment – Second Scene: Romina Peluffo and Gonzalo Silva
Audiodescription: Graciana Albertoni
Producer in the UK: Rosina Piovani (True Life Productions)

A Competition Just for London Mums Readers

We’re delighted to be giving away two free tickets to see How to Cry in a House Full of Children on Friday 6th November at 7pm.

To enter, simply email us at monica@londonmums.org.uk with the subject line “CRY” and tell us in one sentence: what’s the funniest thing your child has done to push you to the edge? The winner will be chosen at random and notified by email.

Entries close on Friday 30th October 2026 at midday. Good luck!

Find Out More

• True Life Productions: https://truelifeproductions.co.uk/
• Instagram: @true_life_productions_cic
• Facebook: True Life Productions CIC
• The play in Uruguay: @comollorar

How to Cry in a House Full of Children is brought to London from Uruguay by True Life Productions, as part of the Voila! Theatre Festival 2026. A personal story in a new city opening up a conversation that belongs everywhere.

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