Acclaimed theatre company Cardboard Citizens are to tour a brand new production across theatres, prisons and hostels in the UK, beginning at the Pleasance Theatre, London, on 11 October.
Following their one-off theatrical re-staging of Ken Loach’s seminal film Cathy Come Home in its 50th anniversary year at the Barbican Theatre in July, the award-winning company Cardboard Citizens, who make powerful theatre with and for the homeless, have announced plans to tour a new production, Cathy, to mark their own 25th anniversary.
Based around similar themes to Cathy Come Home, which depicts a young family’s powerless slide into bankruptcy, eviction and, ultimately, homelessness, Cathy is a powerful and emotive new production penned by award-winning playwright Ali Taylor (Cotton Wool, OVERSPILL), and directed by company Artistic Director Adrian Jackson.
Set to a modern backdrop of spiralling housing costs, forced relocation and council waiting lists, Cathy channels the spirit of the film, as well as true accounts of homelessness, to imagine what life might be like for a Cathy in today’s society.
Researched with the support of housing charity Shelter, each performance will end with an interactive debate in Forum Theatre style, with the goal of empowering its audiences to change the outcome of the story, offering a unique experience at every show. Audiences are encouraged to suggest different paths, actions and outcomes for the narrative, actively engaging them in one of contemporary society’s most topical and important subjects.
Playing at the Pleasance Theatre in London from 11 to 15 October, before embarking on a nationwide tour which includes theatres, prisons and hostels across the UK, the show will star Amy Loughton, Cathy Owen and Hayley Wareham, with one cast member still to be announced.
The company has today released a trailer for the production:
To view full tour dates and to book tickets, visit Cardboard Citizens’ website.