A stage version of Mother and Son was written by Geoffrey Atherden and premiered at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, on 18 July 2014.
[3] The plot of the show addresses the problems of ageing and caring for somebody with increasing memory loss, with an often sharp-edged humour which carried with it a tinge of sadness.
Maggie (Ruth Cracknell), full name Margaret May Lapsley Beare, is the widow of World War II veteran Leo, mother of Robert and Arthur, sister to Lorna and grandmother to Damien and Teonie.
Maggie is apparently in the early stages of some form of dementia and her younger son Arthur lives with and takes care of her.
Younger son of Maggie and Leo, brother of Robert, uncle to Damien and Teonie and recent ex-husband of Deidre, Arthur (Garry McDonald) is an editor and journalist for a newspaper.
Elder son of Maggie and Leo, brother of Arthur, husband to Liz and father of Damien and Teonie, Robert (Henri Szeps) is a successful dentist who takes many holidays and has extramarital affairs.
Robert loves to play tennis and golf, listening to classical music, and throughout the show owns a series of luxury cars: a Jaguar, Volvo and a BMW.
The house used for outside shots with the cast, at 16 Rickard Street Rodd Point, was built by John Cockerill in 1927, had an auction which was "off the Richter scale with well and truly over 100 people, at least".
The house was mainly unknown in connection to the show (with most bidders being too young to know the sitcom) and sold in 2014 for $1.95 million to build a dual-occupancy dwelling with an underground garage and swimming pool.
The stage version of Mother and Son, written by Geoffrey Atherden and starring Noeline Brown, Darren Gilshenan and Shane Jacobson, premiered at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne on 18 July 2014.