Cast Announced For MAD COW THE MUSICAL

The full cast has been announced for Mad Cow, the debut musical from Quaestio Productions, which will premiere at Canterbury's Garlinge Theatre this July.

The musical, which is written and directed by Hero Douglas, will star Halcyon Sheen (The Watermill Theatre) in the central character of Martha. Dancer and choreographer Jonny Hibbs (Villages in Action) will play Rebel the Calf and is also choreographing the production.

The rest of the cast is comprised of Josie Bowbrick (of Guildford School of Acting), Lois Odell (Stranger Sings), Drew Paterson (Dear Santa), Rosanne Priest (I Can Get It For You Wholesale) and David Shears (Sweeney Agonistes).

Mad Cow is an adventurous new musical that turns a darkly comic hand to hot-button issues, including factory farming and the ethics of eating meat.

The narrative centres on 14-year-old Martha Woolf and her family on their small-scale farm in North Wales. While her sisters and parents are trying to keep up with the well-to-do neighbours, Martha spends her time caring for the cows and the pigs.

The plot takes a madcap turn when circumstances threaten the animals Martha cares about most and she's pushed to ever-more extreme lengths to save them.

Mad Cow is the first musical staged by Quaestio Productions, which has been founded by Hero Douglas with the ambition to "make the world a better place through radically optimistic stories".

Canterbury's Garlinge Theatre, where Mad Cow will be staged from 3-13 July, opened earlier this year as the UK's first vegan theatre. Only vegan products are permitted to be consumed on the premises.

Douglas is a musician, composer and writer who has performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Bridgewater Hall and Wembley Arena. Her music was featured in the Yr Wyddfa plastic-free campaign. In 2022, she played one of the young women of Salem in The Crucible at The National Theatre. She has also appeared in productions at the Art's Theatre and for the Dust Theatre Company.

"The story of Mad Cow is largely taken from real-life observations," said Douglas. "Its themes are universal - it's about family, about growing up 'different', about greed and standing up for your beliefs. It explores important questions around sustainability and the ethics of the meat industry - issues that we can no longer ignore."

Mad Cow

3rd to 13th July 2024

Monday to Saturday 7pm; Saturday matinees 2pm

The Garlinge Theatre, Canterbury, CT4 5RU

Tickets: £12 (Concessions: £8; Children under 12: £5)

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/garlingetheatre/mad-cow-the-musical/e-jbmzpa

07968 810638 or 07805 500463

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