What Will Happen to the Cat –Research and Development Workshop

– a co-created show by Rebecca Manson Jones and Lisa Muten from an idea by Lisa Muten.

Dates likely to be 29 – 31st October 2024 and ? 4-5 th November 2024

Synopsis

The story follows Jo and her Father, Ted, who has dementia. Ted has been abandoned on the doorstep by his new wife’s family, with his only remaining belongings in a blue plastic bag– on Christmas Eve. Once Jo has him safe at her home, she pieces together the story of how newly-widowed Ted was targeted by a cuckoo family, who befriended him, alienated him from Jo, persuaded him to marry their mother (without telling Jo). They then sold off his assets and spent all his money. At the start of the action, Jo is shocked to discover Ted has £438.11 left to his name.  

 The events of 2017 are set against Ted’s occasionally comical professional adventures behind the Iron Curtain as a businessman, making friends and doing deals. He seems to cope in the present by referring back with humour and wry commentary to his tense encounters at border crossings, breakdowns on mountain passes, and giving government agents the slip.  Ted although confused, is protected by his memories and provides a poignant and philosophical perspective to Jo’s travails with bureaucracy, often asking after his cat and the cricket score.  Jo fights and fails to get justice. In a system that wants but is powerless to help, she finally wins the biggest prize, a proper reunion and reconciliation with her father.  

 The role of Ted is cast.

We are looking for two female performers, both playing age 45- 55. Both performers need to be experienced in improvisation, working with new and evolving scripts, and confident with movement. Lived experience of people living with dementia or age-related conditions is helpful but not essential.

Each performer will be devising/playing multiple roles with a base character either:

Jo – Ted’s daughter, 50s, mixed-heritage Global Majority and white, English accent essential. The character is born and educated in England.

Or

Kelly – Ted’s new wife’s daughter. 50s. White. Any British accent. This performer will also play many of the characters Ted encounters as a younger man in Eastern Europe, so Eastern European heritage is an advantage.

The workshop will take place in London. We invite everyone who works with us to share their access statement. Please let us know if you have any questions about access support before submitting. There will be an access support worker in the rehearsal room.

Fee: £200 per day

Please email a CV, a little information about you and your interest in this project (no more than 1 page) and a show reel  if you have one to info@sparetyre.org by 10am 21st October 2024. We’ll be holding Zoom and in person meetings 23/24 October.