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Comedy rising star Kayleigh Jones, who was born and raised in Warwickshire and now lives in Oxfordshire, is bringing her hit show to Warwick in support of The Myton Hospices.
Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2025, Kayleigh’s award-winning show ‘I Fed My Dad to a Pelican’ will be performed at the Bridge House Theatre in Warwick, just a short distance from where her mum was cared for at Warwick Myton Hospice.
Winner of both the Spirit of the Fringe Award and Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe in 2025, the show tells the unforgettable true story of how, on Christmas morning 2010 at the age of 23, Kayleigh discovered her dad wasn’t her biological father, and the seven-year journey that followed to find him.
Kayleigh first performed the show at comedy festivals in 2023, but paused touring while her mum was being cared for by Myton. Now, she is taking the show back on tour and bringing it to Warwick, with proceeds being donated to The Myton Hospices.
Kayleigh’s mum, Anne, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. In 2023, the cancer had sadly spread to her bones. Kayleigh explains:
Mum came to Myton for respite care in December 2023. At first she felt like she didn’t belong, but before long she absolutely loved it. She was able to go home for the first half of 2024, but returned to Myton in July 2024.
Anne was admitted to Warwick Myton Hospice initially for another round of respite care, but it soon became clear she was too unwell to return home. Kayleigh continued:
Everyone at Myton was incredible. We hadn’t had the best experience in hospital, they couldn’t manage mum’s pain, but as soon as we arrived at Myton, we knew we were in good hands.
Mum was very poorly when she first arrived and, as my husband and I live in Oxfordshire, they let us stay in the relatives’ accommodation so we could be close to her. After the first ten days she began to improve, and that’s when she really made the place her home.
Anne personalised her room with plants, flowers, photos and even a cool box filled with chocolate and treats. Kayleigh’s sister, Nadine, recalls:
She really showed everyone her true personality and the staff fell in love with her. At one point they moved her to a room closer to the nurses’ station because she kept escaping her bed! They didn’t stop her, they just wanted to keep a closer eye on her. She could go to the smoke room whenever she wanted. They never stopped her doing what she loved, they embraced who she was and supported her to live life her way until the very end. That’s something we’ll always be grateful for.
While at Myton, the family threw Anne an early 60th birthday party. Kayleigh added:
Mum was turning 60 later that year, so we wanted to celebrate properly. We had banners, food, music, even a feather boa for mum. So many people came. It felt like the whole of Warwick and Leamington turned up, alongside family from across the country. It showed just how much she meant to everyone.
Anne died at Warwick Myton Hospice in October 2024, just one month before her 60th birthday.
This really sums my mum up. She told us she wanted her ashes put into a firework and set off – so that’s exactly what we did. Last year, on the anniversary of her death, we lit her firework and she lit up the sky with a bang.
Reflecting on how her mum felt about the show, Kayleigh says:
Mum was sceptical at first about me telling the world about her decades-old love affair. But once she heard parts of it, she absolutely loved it. She always found the humour in situations, she was a wild spirit, which Myton got to see too.
Bringing the show to Warwick, just a stone’s throw from where mum was cared for, feels incredibly special. Myton gave mum a good death. They cared for her so compassionately and supported us as a family. After seeing how underfunded hospices are, I wanted to do something that honours mum while giving back for the care she received. She features heavily in the show, even more than my dad, so performing it in her hometown while raising money for a charity that means so much to us is really special.
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