Acclaimed Scottish company Scissor Kick have announced further dates for Catafalque, their much anticipated debut show from writer Amy Conway. This one-woman eulogy will head on a Scottish tour after it’s run at Edinburgh Fringe, sharing a pivotal and personal story of a civil celebrant questioning how we grieve the ungrievable?
A haunting and moving production about love and loss, Catafalque is inspired by Conway’s own experiences as a civil celebrant. When Fern is confronted with the challenge of eulogising a man who has done the unthinkable – yet his grieving mother still wishes to remember the son she loved, despite his horrific acts in life – past traumas and buried secrets are uncovered. This absorbing and emotionally charged play is a nuanced and provocative exploration of love and grief, and how we process loss.
Conway’s engaging debut play challenges the audience to consider how we remember those who have died – and honour their loved ones. What are the professional and personal lines we cross, and what do we owe to the dead when they have committed terrible acts?
From acclaimed producers Scissor Kick and directed by Beth Morton, with Olivia Millar-Ross as associate director, Catafalque will premiere at Edinburgh Fringe in August, before heading on a Scottish tour to Greenock, Paisley and Fife in August and September, bringing this fascinating tale to even more audiences around Scotland.
Writer and performer Amy Conway comments, The show’s themes can be confronting and it’s so important to us that there is a supportive space for these narratives to be heard and addressed.
Taking Catafalque to Fringe and on tour to more audiences is such an exciting opportunity for the piece to reach and resonate with audiences. Whilst I don’t think using lived experience in the creative process is imperative in theatre making, I’ve found that using my own experiences as a starting point allows me to not only move forward with the authority of an authentic perspective, but it means I can apply fine details and richness to the work that may not have been available to someone without that first hand knowledge – and humanity! Sharing a bit of something real is what makes for great storytelling.
