May
18
That Catholic Thing
Sky Blue Theatre Company will be granting the wish of terminally ill playwright and company director Anne Bartram by producing her first full length comedy at Camden People’s Theatre, London. That Catholic Thing is inspired by Anne’s own experiences of disability and views of religion.
Religion is a hot topic with its global and very grave repercussions. Christian churches today are finding their numbers dwindling as more people question the origins and the stories of the faith they have been taught and are expected to believe without question. Many Christians believe their bible stories implicitly and follow their religion without question. This play attempts to show how a new religion may be founded and compares its rituals to those of the established church. That Catholic Thing is a dark comedy that explores the ideology of religion, its pomp and ceremony and its historical attitude to disability and mental health.
Writer Anne Bartram said ‘All the controversial subject matter within this play has affected my life in one way or another. Having been indoctrinated into the Catholic Church during my childhood, I wanted to write a play that exposed the ridiculous rites associated, not only with Catholicism but so many other religions too. I have a sister who suffers with severe mental health issues and I have seen first hand how she has been taken advantage of by ‘her church’ and how the strange relationship with her religion continues to play a large role in her life. Whilst I of course understand people need spirituality in their lives, it would be silly of us not to notice the impact of the church when run as a business. It just all seems a little, well, mad when you take a step back and try and rationalize its mechanics. But this isn’t just a play about religion and mental health, I’ve really drawn on and sought to challenge the way we view such things. As a nation we tend to find humour in the darkest of settings until the atmosphere changes and the reality of the impact it has on real people’s lives presents itself.’
A Kickstarter has been setup to help fund this project which you can view here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1452235660/annes-bucket-list-play
Listings information
Camden People’s Theatre, 58-60 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 2PY (Charity No. 1058723)
Tuesday 21st June- Sunday 17th July (no performance 25th June or Mondays) 7.30pm
Running Time: 90 minutes | Suitable for ages 16+
£14/£12 | www.cpteatre.co.uk | Box Office: +44 020 7419 4841
Media Contact
john@skybluetheatre.com | +44 7941 012293 | Photos Available