Katydid the untold story of a teenage girl living with Cerebral Palsy

Katydid tells the story of nineteen year old Kate Harris, a bright young woman with an absurd wit and a devilish love of trouble.

Like any other young woman her age, Kate clashes with her parents and longs to make her mark on the world. But Kate has Cerebral Palsy. With her father clinging to his little girl for comfort, and her mother clinging to her Southern Comfort, no one could blame Kate for seeking solace in an unwitting young lad who has been brought in to ‘paint the fence’.

What follows is a searing examination of a family unraveled by the strains of living with disability, and living with each other. Katydid is produced by multi- ‐award winning Wellington based theatre company The PlayGround Collective, who have developed a widespread reputation for producing innovative new New Zealand work, recently developing and touring their successful show The Intricate Art of Actually Caring (winners “Most Original Production”, 2009 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards).

After winning the Embassy Trust Prize this gripping new piece of New Zealand drama will have its premier season at BATS theatre from August 18 – 28. Playwright Lucy O’Brien wrote Katydid whist studying for her MA in Scriptwriting at Victoria University’s Institute of Modern Letters. She was motivated by her own experience of growing up with a sister with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Although not directly related to her own story, O’Brien has produced a play that rejects the notion of a ‘universal’ experience of living with a disability. Instead, she paints a portrait of a mistreated – and sometimes manipulative – young woman, whose family life is fraught with pain and controversy, yet imbued with a dark sense of humour.

In this, O’Brien ventures into territory unseen on the New Zealand stage. With the challenging nature of the production, the PlayGround Collective is working a group of seasoned actors who have countless Chapman Tripp wins and nominations among them.

Sophie Hambleton plays Kate, Rachel More is her alcoholic mother Lindsay, Robert Tripe is her cancer- ‐ridden father Daniel and Ralph McCubbin- ‐Howell plays Kate’s hapless love interest Ben. Directed by Charlotte Bradley of Three Spoon Theatre, audiences will be in for a well- ‐crafted entertaining production. It was important to the team that the role of Kate and her relationship to her family was authentic, so they sought advice from the Cerebral Palsy Society and people who have lived with Cerebral Palsy.

The play’s reception by these groups has been warm, and it’s portrayal of Cerebral Palsy described as honest and true. Katydid offers an opportunity for the story of someone living with a disability to take centre stage - ‐ often the needs and desires of those living with disability are hidden or overlooked. As the Cerebral Palsy Society expressed, “It is a rare and valuable opportunity that the staging of this play offers in its theatrical representation of a young woman with Cerebral Palsy”.

Offering a unique experience and insight for audiences the production will be offering forums for discussing the work and is working with Arts Access to develop relationships with communities who would benefit from attending the play.

Written by Lucy O'Brien, Directed by Charlotte Bradley, Produced by Eleanor Bishop Playground Collective

Featuring: Sophie Hambleton, Rachel More, Robert Tripe and Ralph McCubbin- ‐Howell.

Date: 18 – 28 August Venue: BATS Tickets: $20 full / $13 concession / $18 groups 6 Wheelchair access available

Time: 7.30pm Tickets available from BATS book@bats.co.nz, 04 8024175