Funeral Flowers is a quietly extraordinary piece of theatre currently playing at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre in St Kilda. Emma Dennis-Edwards’ award-winning one-woman play is a deeply personal story that is equal parts heartbreaking and hopefil. Inspired by the true story of Tottenham community leader Gina Moffatt, the play won the Scotsman Fringe First Award at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe before making its Australian premiere in Melbourne.
Lucy Ansell delivers a phenomenal performance as 17-year-old Angelique, a teenager navigating life in the UK’s foster care system while dreaming of becoming a florist and creating a new life for herself. Flowers become far more than a career aspiration: to Angelique they represent beauty, hope and the possibility of creating something meaningful in a life that’s been shaped by instability, bullying, systemic racism and the absence of her imprisoned mother.
Over a bit more than an hour, we’re taken on a journey with Angelique as she recounts moments of despair, resilience and unexpected joy. While Funeral Flowers is ultimately an uplifting story, it does not shy away from confronting difficult realities. The play contains references to sexual assault and abuse, which form part of Angelique’s traumatic story and help to frame challenges she is looking to overcome. These moments are handled with sensitivity and restraint, never feeling exploitative or gratuitous. Instead, they deepen the audience’s understanding of Angelique’s resilience and reinforce the play’s message about the importance of compassion, support and finding hope after trauma.
Ansell commands the stage for the entire performance with astonishing confidence. Switching effortlessly between humour, vulnerability and fierce determination, she creates a fully realised character whose story feels deeply authentic.
Funeral Flowers is funny, moving and overall uplifting, leaving the audience with a renewed appreciation for the transformative power of hope.
Funeral Flowers is at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre until 23 August 2026. More information and tickets here.
