Ugly Chief
By (Author) Victoria Melody
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Oberon Books Ltd
31st October 2017
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Sociology: family and relationships
Sociology: death and dying
True stories: general
Paperback
64
Width 130mm, Height 210mm
In 2013, Mike was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and given five years to live. Mikes daughter Victoria was put in charge of planning the funeral. But a year later the doctors realised they had misdiagnosed Mike. Victoria and Mike decided to go ahead with the funeral anyway and Victoria went to Port Talbot to train as a funeral director.Ugly Chiefplays out the funeral Victoria planned, including her experieences of training at a funeral home Ugly Chiefis a comic take on what we want and expect from a funerals and how the deceased might behave if they were actually there to see it. It also explores a father/daughter relationship, and "father and daughter reassess their relationship in the very act of making and performing the show" (The Guardian). The publication includes colour photographs from the premiere at Battersea Arts Centre and an interview with Victoria Melody.