MOTHERS

Mothers is an interview format in which guests appear as themselves but speak as their own mother within a formally framed conversation.

There is no costume, makeup or visual impersonation. The guest remains recognisably themselves. The maternal role is entered through voice, behaviour, attitude and familiarity rather than theatrical transformation.

The interview begins when the host addresses the mother directly by name. From that point the conversation is conducted entirely with the mother who speaks about her child’s life, work and development from her own perspective. The child remains an off-screen presence, spoken about rather than spoken to.

Format Structure:

  • Guests enter and are seated as themselves

  • The interview begins when the host addresses the mother by name

  • The host conducts a straight interview with the mother, never breaking the premise

  • Questions are directed to the mother about her child’s life and work

  • The guest responds as the mother for the duration of the interview segment

  • The interview concludes when the host thanks the mother directly

At the conclusion, the guest is released from the role without comment. The transition back to themselves is non-verbal and unmarked.

Performance and Behaviour:

The format does not require costume. Guests may use varying degrees of restraint or exaggeration.

Guests draw on speech patterns, habits, attitudes and behaviours they recognise from lived experience.

The mother is inhabited rather than impersonated and may be expressed lightly or closely, affectionately or critically, fluently or awkwardly. Variations and imperfections are intrinsic to the structure.

Tone and Emotional Range:

The format does not prescribe emotional outcome or performance style.

By displacing self-narration through a maternal voice, the structure allows humour, recognition, pride, discomfort, tenderness, frustration or emotional intensity to emerge without being solicited or required.

Moments of laughter or emotion may occur during the interview, or in the silence following its conclusion. The release of the role is an integral part of the structure and is allowed to register without commentary.

The Host:

The host remains attentive, neutral and sincere throughout.

They accept the mother as fully real and maintain the interview frame from entry to conclusion.

The host does not parody, explain or editorialise the premise and does not prompt emotional disclosure.

Scalability:

Mothers is designed to function across:

  • Television

  • Audio and radio

  • Short-form digital formats

The mother’s voice is culturally legible across contexts, allowing the format to adapt to different guests, backgrounds and broadcast environments.

Authorship:

Mothers is an interview format created by Chris Coombes.

This page documents the format in development.