World Premiere Of CATERPILLAR Comes to Theatre503

Set against the backdrop of a sleepy seaside town, the world premiere of Alison Carr's enigmatic drama sees three characters build smokescreens around themselves, hiding from their responsibilities, themselves and each other. A finalist for the 2016 Theatre503 playwrighting award, Caterpillar follows a man trying to fulfill a strange promise to compete in Bognor Regis' Birdman competition as he accidentally ends up more involved than intended in the lives of the mother and daughter running his B&B. Struggling to live up to expectations as a mother perhaps a leap of faith is exactly what is needed, to fly or fall, things can't carry on as they are.

Every year in the seaside town of Bognor Regis, people throw themselves off the end of a pier in an attempt to win the International Birdman competition. Joining the other pot-bellied Spidermen falling into the sea, Simon arrives at Bayview B&B looking for somewhere to stay the night, but when he meets owner Maeve and her daughter Claire, not everything is as it seems. Combining dark comedy and tender drama, Caterpillar explores the moment when we find ourselves standing on the edge, and whether we dare to step off.

Originally from the North East, writer 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.?

Director Yasmeen Arden said, "As a reader for the Theatre503 playwriting award it's always a joy to find a play that jumps to life off the page and Caterpillar literally flies off the page! It's set by the seaside- so what's not to love. I completely fell in love with it on first reading it and couldn't wait to meet Alison at the award ceremony to tell her what a fan I had become of her. Luckily we hit it off and I'm so excited to get this beautiful, compelling and funny play on the stage and share it with everyone."

Yasmeen Arden is Artistic Director at Small Truth Theatre and has directed full length, short plays and rehearsed readings at a variety of theatres including, Arcola, Theatre503, New Diorama, Soho Theatre, Jermyn Street Theatre, Sackler Studios at Shakespeare's Globe, Somersault & Latitude Festivals and Watford Palace, as well as, sight specific work. Her production of NEST by Katy Warner, was described as 'one of the highlights' of Vault Festival 2018 and she recently directed Christopher Hogg on his TEDx Talk.

Small Truth Theatre is an award-winning company that seeks to create theatre that is collaborative, detailed and experiential. It is a collective that is proud of its working-class roots and strives to give voice to the seldom heard.

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