'Listen. I know you might be in a bad way. But it's okay. It's all going to work out okay. Because I'm here to help you. Jehovah has led me here to save you.'

Sixteen-year-old Eliza has a responsibility: she must go door to door, bringing others into The Truth. It's The Truth which helped save her mum when her dad packed a bag and left in the middle of the night. And it's The Truth that will save her when Armageddon comes.

When Eliza meets Ben while out ministering, she sees an opportunity to bring a new member into the flock. But as they grow closer, her beliefs are pulled into question and her mission gets increasingly complicated. How do you live in this world when you're constantly preparing for its end?

Birdcatcher is a darkly comic exploration of the murky, repressive underworld of religious 'high control' groups. Produced by Pentabus, in association with Papatango Theatre Company and Middle Child, Laura Waldren's vivid and unflinching play premiered at Middle Child's Humber Street venue in Hull in 2026, ahead of a UK tour.



Laura Waldren is an actor and writer from Hull. Her debut play, Some Demon, won the 2023 Papatango Prize, and received widespread critical acclaim.