Caterpillar, a new play by NE playwright Alison Carr, is to première at London’s Theatre503 next week and already two of the 25 performances are sold out. After the London run (29 August to 22 September), the play will transfer to the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough from 27 to 29 September.
In a faded seaside town, it is the busiest weekend of the year and the annual ‘Birdman’ competition is in full flight. Simon is here to compete and turns up looking for a bed for the night... but everything at Maeve’s beloved B&B is off kilter. Her daughter Claire is here to help—or is she just making things worse?
Greasy fish ’n’ chips, sticks of rock—and a pot-bellied Spiderman has just thrown himself off the pier!
There’s a fine line between flying and falling, and Caterpillar—funny, searing and tender—asks, “when we find ourselves standing on the edge, do we dare to step off?”
The play is directed by Yasmeen Arden, whom Carr met via the Theatre503 Playwriting Award for which the play was shortlisted, and produced by Small Truth Theatre.
Alison Carr recently completed an attachment with the National Theatre and her credits include Hush (Paines Plough, RWCMD, The Gate), Iris (Live Theatre, winner Journal Culture Awards Writer of the Year); The Soaking of Vera Shrimp (winner Live Theatre / Empty Space Bursary Award) and Fat Alice (Traverse Theatre, Oran Mor, The Lemon Tree).
She is a member of the Traverse Fifty and a founder member of Forward Theatre Project with whom her work includes Clothes Swap Theatre Party (Derby Theatre) and Can Cause Death starring Olivier-Award winner David Bradley and performed at Latitude Festival, Northern Stage and the National Theatre.
Theatte503's new writing studio, which seats 63, is above the Latchmere Pub at 503 Battersea Park Road SW11.