Theatre presents poignant
retelling of iconic 1960s drama
Cathy
Durham Gala Theatre
Tuesday 5 to Saturday 9 May 2020
The emotional tale of a
mother and daughter who fall on hard times is the latest in-house production at
a County Durham theatre.
Tickets are now on sale for Cathy,
which runs the at Gala Theatre in Durham City
from Tuesday 5 to Saturday 9 May.
 |
| Cathy was first performed by theatre company Carboard Citizens in 2016 |
The play, by award-winning playwright Ali Taylor, was inspired by
Ken Loach's 1966 television drama, Cathy
Come Home, and follows Cathy and her teenage daughter Danielle, who are
forced out of their flat by spiralling living costs.
The powerful story looks at the consequences for the family when
they struggle to find a suitable home. Reluctant to move away, Cathy seeks help
from the local housing office, only to find herself falling through cracks in
the system, with no one willing or able to stop her descent.
Originally produced in 2016, to mark the 50th anniversary of Ken
Loach's seminal film, Cathy is a powerful and timely reflection on the lives of
those at the sharp end of economic austerity and opened to great critical
acclaim.
Ali wrote the poignant play for
theatre company Cardboard Citizens, who make theatre with and for homeless people. As part
of her research, Ali interviewed a host of people with first-hand
experience at the sharp-end of homelessness, as well as council housing staff, weaving
elements of their tales of hardship into the story.
Since its first performance
in 2016, the hard-hitting production has played in theatres, prisons, hostels
and even the House of Lords, exploring what a nowadays Cathy would look like
and giving audiences a chance to see what has changed since the premiere of Ken
Loach’s seminal film. The Scottish Mail on Sunday described it as “essential, gripping,
soul-wrenching stuff.”
Robin Byers, manager of Gala
Theatre and Cinema, said: “We are proud to be producing Ali Taylor’s moving
play, Cathy at Gala Theatre. Cathy Come Home broke new ground when
it was released, and this updated story remains a powerful and important
statement about community and humanity.”
Cathy is the latest in a run
of in-house productions at Gala, following past successes including classic comedy
Educating Rita, light-hearted school-based play Teechers and clever barroom
drama Two. Cast and crew appointments for the production are still to be
announced but the whole play will be produced, designed and directed in County
Durham, continuing the Gala’s reputation for nurturing and showcasing local
talent.
Tickets cost between £10
and £16 with under 25s tickets just £5 and can be booked by calling the Gala
Theatre Box Office on 03000 266 600 or online at www.galadurham.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.