Dead Cats

NOW TOURING 2022/23 – DATES BELOW

In rooms like this room people lie. Not little lies, the kinds of lies that kill people, or worse…

In this room, or in rooms like this room, they use phrases like collateral damage, like extraordinary rendition, like perception management. They cover up their dirty words with clean ones, in rooms like this room. In rooms like this room, they redact the names.

Dead Cats blends new writing, performance, film-making, and an obvious plant, to show – not tell – the truths behind the fictions.

Dead Cats is the third contemporary theatre work in Proto-
type’s critically acclaimed Truth to Power Project
– a socially-engaged exploration of power, democracy, truth-telling, protest, privacy, conspiracy, and control.

In rooms like this room, language is laundered.
The name of the game is spin.

“This is coolly reasoned theatre, produced by Proto-type Theater with stylish aplomb.”

– Lyn Gardner, The Guardian

“Proto-type’s team have such imagination and clarity of vision… a great antidote to [a] tangled political landscape”

– Exeunt

“It made me want to headbutt a bank.”

– AUDIENCE RESPONSE

2022/23 Tour Dates

SUN 25 SEPT | [PREMIERE] THEATRESZENE EUROPA FESTIVAL, STUDIOBÜHNE KÖLNSTUDIOBUEHNEKOELN.DE

TUE 11 OCT | CARRIAGE WORKS, LEEDS

WED 12 OCT | THE CREATIVE CENTRE, YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY

THUR 27 OCT | SHOWROOM, CHICHESTER

THUR 3 NOV | ARC, STOCKTON

MON 14 NOV | ENABLE US!, SHEFFIELD

TUE 15 NOV | HARROGATE GRAMMAR SCHOOL (HARROGATE THEATRE)

2023

WED 18 JAN | THE CIVIC, BARNSLEY 

WED 25 JAN | LANCASTER ARTS

WED 22 FEB | AMATA, FALMOUTH

WED 15 MAR | CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION

FRI 28 APR | ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE, LEICESTER ATTENBOROUGHARTS.COM

TUE 9 MAY | STAGE@LEEDS, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS | STAGE.LEEDS.AC.UK

WED 10 & THUR 11 MAY | THE CRUCIBLE, SHEFFIELDSHEFFIELDTHEATRES.CO.UK

FRI 12 MAY | BRADFORD THEATRE IN THE MILL | THEATREINTHEMILL.COM

FRI 19 MAY | DARTINGTON HALL DARTINGTON.ORG

SAT 20 MAY | TOLMEN CENTRE, FALMOUTHTOLMENCENTRE.CO.UK


DEAD CATS premiered on Sunday 25th September 2022 at THEATRESZENE EUROPA FESTIVAL, STUDIOBÜHNE KÖLNSTUDIOBUEHNEKOELN.DE, following previews at:

FRI 14 JAN – LINCOLN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

THURS  24 MAR | THE SPRING ARTS & HERITAGE CENTRE

SAT 30 APRIL | BITE SIZE FESTIVAL, WARWICK ARTS CENTRE

WEDS 4 MAY | THE LOWRY

22 MAY | BRIGHTON FESTIVAL (Part of CARAVAN ASSEMBLY)


Dead Cats

Proto-type Theater

Written and directed by Andrew Westerside
Devised and performed by Rachel Baynton and Gillian Lees
Film and Design by Adam York Gregory
Original sound by Paul J. Rogers

Produced by Gillian Lees
Marketing and Comms by Rachel Baynton
Production Assistants Curtis Clapham and Elisha Pearce
Technical Manager Myk Hoyle
Set by Alex Kent and Lincoln Performing Arts Centre


Dead Cats is part of Proto-type Theater’s socially-engaged Truth to Power Project and has been made possible through funding from Arts Council England as well as through the continued support of ARC (Stockton), Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, The Lowry (Salford), Theatre-in-the-Mill (Bradford) & hAb/Word of Warning (Manchester).

With thanks to the following organisations and funds who have supported and championed our work across The Truth to Power Project so far: AMATA (Falmouth), ARC (Stockton), artsdepot (North Finchley), Attenborough Arts Centre (Leicester), Axis Arts Centre (Crewe), BBC Lincolnshire, Bite Size Festival – China Plate, Cambridge Junction,
Carriageworks Theatre (Leeds), The Civic (Barnsley), The Crucible (Sheffield), CURVE (Leicester), Derby Theatre, EnableUs – University of Sheffield Drama Studio, Farnham Maltings, Futures for Women, Greenbelt Festival (Northampton), Harrogate Theatre, Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University, Lawrence Batley (Huddersfield), Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, The Lowry (Salford), mac (Birmingham), Northern Stage (Newcastle), Norwich Arts Centre, Nuffield Theatre (NST City, Southampton), Oxford Playhouse, Performing House (York St. John University), Pulse Festival – New Wolsey Theatre (Ipswich), Settle Stories Festival, Slung Low (Leeds), The Southbank Centre, The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre (Havant),  Summerhall – Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Tron (Glasgow), Trestle Arts Base (St Albans), York Theatre Royal, Yorkshire Festival, Theatre-in-the-Mill (Bradford), hAb/Word of Warning (Manchester), Warwick Arts Centre, Tramway (Glasgow), BBC Lincolnshire, Mansions of the Future, The Britten-Pears Foundation, Arts Council England, and the British Council.

Arts Council England logo.

Resources

The following materials to support the show will be available early 2022:

  • Show trailer
  • Additional stills
  • Full Venue & Marketing Pack
  • Media release upon request

For further information please contact Gillian Lees via gillian@proto-type.org

proto-type