"...breathtakingly beautiful... ambitious, expansive, evocative..."
The Stage
Three generations. Timeless ballads. One unforgettable story.
Ballad Lines (formerly A Mother’s Song) is the 5-star musical from acclaimed Scottish songwriter  Finn Anderson and West End director Tania Azevedo.
Sarah thought she’d left her childhood behind. A queer woman living in New York City, she’s long severed ties with the folk traditions of her upbringing. But when old ballads resurface, so do the voices of her ancestors — pulling her on a life-changing journey across time.
Spanning continents and generations, Ballad Lines follows three women bound together by blood, song, and choice.
In 17th-century Scotland, Cait, a minister’s wife, wrestles with the constraints of her role.
In 18th-century Ireland, Jean, a spirited teenager, faces an uncertain future.
In 21st-century New York, Sarah is caught between the life she’s built and the pull of the Past.
Blending original music with traditional Scottish, Irish, and Appalachian ballads, Ballad Lines is a heart-opening new musical of love, legacy, and the ties that bind us all.
The Creators
Finn Anderson is an award-winning Scottish writer and singer-songwriter. He is on attachment at the National Theatre, is Associate Artist at Lowry, and was the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer 2020-21. Musicals include Islander (Off-Broadway/Off-West End/US Tour, with translations and productions across the world), Streets (Off West End nominated for Best New Musical). As a singer-songwriter, he has released two albums and toured internationally, including with Bogha Frois: Queer Voices in Folk.
Tania Azevedo is a Portuguese director and dramaturg working across new musicals, queer storytelling, and bold reimaginings. She is Creative Development Associate for Stage Entertainment International and trained at Mountview, the National Theatre Directors’ Course, and the Royal Opera House’s JPA Opera Directors Programme. Her work includes But I’m a Cheerleader (WhatsOnStage Best Off-West End Production), West End musical &Juliet (Resident/International Associate Director), and projects with ArtsEd, York Theatre Royal, and the King’s Head Theatre.
Book by Finn Anderson & Tania Azevedo
Music & Lyrics by Finn Anderson
2017
Finn and Tania are commissioned to write a new musical for a Scottish-American cast of students from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) and American Music Theatre Project (AMTP). They began dreaming up the concept of A Mother’s Song.
2018
A week in Chicago, workshopping the first draft of the the script and score.
A week of devising and early stage development with students at RCS.
Students from RCS and AMTP come together to stage the first production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
2020
Finn & Tania undertake a 5 week residency in Chicago at AMTP, to rewrite the show and workshop new material.
2021
Public reading at The Lowry in Salford, with a cast of 6, as part of Rewrites festival
2022
A Mother’s Song In Concert at Macrobert Arts Centre
Recording A Mother's Song Concert Cast EP
2023
The world premiere of A Mothers Song: A New Folk Musical took in place February 2023, produced by Macrobert Arts Centre and KT Producing.
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2025
A Mother's Song is renamed Ballad Lines.
New Studio Cast Album recorded and released.
2026
January 23rd 2026, Ballad Lines opens at Southwark Playhouse