Cathy

Settled... Until suddenly you're not...

Forced out of London by spiralling living costs, Cathy finds herself in an unfamiliar town with no friends and no money; pushed to make choices she doesn't want to make...

Candid, poignant and intimate, Ali Taylor's play Cathy offers a timely reflection on the lives of those at the sharp end of economic austerity, faced with impossible choices and an uncertain future.

Inspired by Cathy Come Home, Ken Loach's pioneering television drama, Cathy was first produced in 2016 by Cardboard Citizens, a theatre company that makes work with and for homeless people, on a tour of the UK.



Ali Taylor trained at the Royal Court Young Writers' Programme. His first play Cotton Wool (Theatre503, London, 2008) won the 18th Meyer Whitworth Award. He was one of the winners of 'Metamorphosis08', a new play competition run by the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, for his play Overspill ( Churchill, Bromley, & Soho Theatre, London, 2008 ). His writing for young people includes two plays for Polka Theatre: Sticks and Stones and an adaptation of The Machine Gunners (shortlisted for the Brian Way Award). Other plays include Conspiracy (RWCMD/Gate); Under My Skin (Pegasus); Fault Lines (Hampstead Theatre, 2013); Cathy (Cardboard Citizens, 2016) and several radio plays for BBC Radio 4.



'A harrowing, emotional piece... essential viewing. Gripping, soul-wrenching stuff'



'A shocking and accurate account of the housing catastrophe that is unfolding in many parts of the country. Importantly, it encourages us to do something about it'



'Touching and troubling... brings home the human cost of the housing crisis'



'The characters are fully drawn and believable... a powerful piece'



'A shocking, eye-opening account of today's housing crisis'



'A hard-hitting look at just how easy it is to fall between the cracks.. this is life-changing theatre that takes a look at the human cost of the housing crisis. Not only an excellent play, but an important one'