Author Ajay’s talk gives sufferagette play context
Former Perth writer-inresidence Ajay Close will give theatre-goers an insight into her new play during a talk later this week ... writes Rachel Blackburn.
The award-winning author will discuss `Cat and Mouse’ – which stars Coupar Angus actress Jess Watt as an evil prison warder – on Thursday at the Fair City’s Goodlyburn Theatre.
The talk takes place around 9pm following a performance of the ground-breaking play by Perth Drama Club.
`Cat and Mouse’ brings to life the story of four real women held at Perth Prison and subjected to a harsh regime of force-feeding in 1914.
After being imprisoned for acts of political violence, the suffragettes refused to eat and were fed via a tube which went into their stomach.
The women were treated by prison medical officer Dr Hugh Ferguson Watson – the only Scottish doctor prepared to force-feed hunger-striking women.
Mrs Watt plays a cruel prison warder who enjoys making the lives of the suffragettes difficult during their incarceration in Perth Prison.
Ms Close told the Blairie: “I’ll be talking about the background of what was going on at the time and how these women ended up in jail.
“This was a time when women were so frustrated with the government they resorted to bombing and burning buildings.
“It’s quite extraordinary to think that these women, who were born and brought up as Victorian, resorted to walking around with bombs and tins of paraffin and carrying out acts of terrorism.”
Following the talk, there will be a question and answer session with Ajay Close and the play’s director Max Clay.
Tickets cost £10 (£8 concessions) and the after-show talk is included as part of the production.
`Cat and Mouse’ is performed from October 19-22 from 7.30pm in the Goodlyburn Theatre.
Tickets are available via www.ticketsource.co.uk/perthdramaclub as well as locally at Perth’s Giraffe Cafe and Concorde Music.
It’s quite extraordinary that these women resorted to bombs and acts of terrorism