My Name is Cathy
by Andrew Sharpe
Director Velenzia Spearpoint
A Camden Fringe Production 2019
A darkly comedic rise and fall story, with a coming of (middle) age theme, dealing with alcoholism in the professional classes, the barriers and prejudice that an ambitious woman faces, and the bias of a judicial system that, at heart, has remained stubbornly patriarchal.
Set one evening in 2016 as teacher Cathy (Kat Rogers) celebrates her 50th birthday alone, and recalls events of the past fifteen years. We meet her younger self (Sally Paffett), who has it all; perfect family and successful career. But as the years go by, hope turns to hubris, echoing the last years of Blair, the crash and the swing to the right, as she is dealt a series of losing hands.
The bank of life forecloses, and her world unravels, as her once perfect personal life and glittering career and children are put in jeopardy by a s**t-storm of poor life choices, farcical situations and no-win deals, created with casual indifference by the men in her life (played by Edwin Flay).
Ultimately, life affirming and triumphant Cathy, a fallen superwoman, faces down her demons as she confronts her worst enemies, and, in a final twist, the person who orchestrated her fall is revealed.
An absurdist farce for our time. Terrifying, honest and hilarious.
Cast:
Narrator/Cathy Kat-Anne Rogers
Joanne Young QC/ Cathy Sally Paffett
Judge James Goode/ Dorian ‘Dee’ Craig Edwin Flay
https://theblogoftheatrethings.com/2019/08/18/review-my-name-is-cathy-at-the-chapel-playhouse/
This play was premiered by KatAlyst Productions at The Chapel Playhouse, Kings Cross, August 2019, A Camden Fringe Production.
katalystpro.com 