Caro Meets Theatre Interview

Catherine Lamb: Bunny

By | Published on Thursday 2 March 2017

At least some of you (if not lots) will be familiar with Jack Thorne’s 2010 play ‘Bunny’, a coming of age monologue about one night in the life of a teenage girl from Luton. If you’re not, then now’s your chance to get acquainted, as a new production of the piece comes to White Bear Theatre this month.

The company behind the staging is Fabricate Theatre. I spoke to one of their number, star of the show, Catherine Lamb.

CM: For those not familiar with the play, can you tell us who and what it’s about?
CL: The show is about Katie, a self-conscious sixth former from Luton who is trying to find her way in a world that lacks intimacy and connection.  The play is about borders within our communities and what happens when you cross over into someone else’s territory.

CM: What themes does it address?
CL: For me the main theme would be fear: every decision Katie makes seems to be driven by it.  The play explores a wide range of challenging themes, including; racism, clashing of cultures, sexuality, discovering your sexuality, coming of age, fear, control and entrapment.

CM: It’s a few years old now, the play, but presumably you feel it’s lost none of its contemporary relevance?
CL: Absolutely, the whole reason for producing this play now is because it is so relevant.  Our communities are being tested constantly.  The boundaries within our society have never been so strongly felt.  Fear of the unknown which inevitably results in resentment and fractious communities.

CM: What made you decide to stage this piece in particular? What attracted you to it?
CL: It’s a clever, funny, high energy piece which everyone can relate to because we are all experiencing our world as it is now and we have all been young.

CM: Are you fans of Jack Thorne in general? I know it’s unlikely that our readers won’t know who and what he does, but just in case, can you tell us a bit about his work?
CL: Sure, he is probably one of our most brilliant writers. Jack Thorne has created landmark shows such as This is England ’90, Shameless and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to name but a few.

CM: Do you have any plans to tour the show after the London run?
CL: Not currently but we will know more once we are up and running.  We are in talks about transferring somewhere in London but I can’t really talk about that yet! Sorry!

CM: Can you tell us about Fabricate Theatre? Who is involved, and what inspired you to set up the company?
CL: Well, as a young actress it is difficult to put up with how little work there is out there and how little control you have over that.  I always knew I wanted to start a company but it was just finding the right time and the reason for doing so.  It just felt right to do it with this show as it is such a strong piece of work and is such a great opportunity to have a lot of fun with creating an experimental production that champions all aspects of theatre making, on and of stage.  Fabricate Theatre strive to showcase all creatives, on and of stage. Lucy Curtis is directing the show and my co producer is Sophia Nicholson.

CM: What hopes and plans do you have for the future?
CL: I really hope this production is a success and then it can act as a spring board for future productions so we can employ more and more exceptionally talented theatre makers and showcase their skills.

CM: What’s coming up next?
CL: I am working on an adaption which I am hoping to produce next year and I am also going to Edinburgh with a new play which is really exciting.

‘Bunny’ is on at the White Bear Theatre from 7-25 Mar, see the venue website here for more info.

LINKS: whitebeartheatre.co.uk | www.fabricatetheatre.com | twitter.com/FabricateTheatr

Photo: Romana Patton

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