Seventy-Eight Thank Yous

In his acclaimed one man show, Seventy-Eight Thank Yous, writer and performer James Pretlove shares tales of the extraordinary death and ordinary life of his mother, Val Pretlove, who died by suicide in 2018 at the age of 78. Alongside the deep grief James felt, his mind began to fill with thank yous for his mum. As it did so, he laughed, cried—even more than he was already—and realised the many gifts there were not only in her life, but in her death too.

Showing the power of gratitude as it deftly mixes depth with lightness, this piece has captivated audiences from St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London, birthplace of the Samaritans, via the York Festival of Ideas to a run at Edinburgh Fringe; a member of the audience who saw it there said, “Thank you so much for sharing your heartbreaking, yet humorous story at the Fringe. Your performance was amazing! I’ve been to many shows at the Fringe this year, they’ve all been good, but have to say—yours stole the Fringe!”