Characters in search of an author

What happens when your story is unfinished... and you're desperate to be heard?

Rehearsals for a new play are thrown into chaos when four mysterious strangers appear. They’re not actors, and they’re not the audience. They are characters, and all they're demanding is for their untold story to be brought to life. As reality and performance begin to blur, a director faces a choice: dismiss their plea, or risk everything to stage a drama that’s already too real.

This adaptation dares you to question what it means to perform… or simply, to be.
Buckle up. The fourth wall won’t protect you this time.

Content Warning:
This production contains themes of death, family conflict, emotional distress, and references to sexual exploitation. It also explores existential and psychological themes which some audiences may find unsettling. Please note there is also a loud gunshot sound effect during the performance.

Cast:

The Manager - Sam Higgins

The Father - Spyridon Lappos

The Step-daughter - Francesca Manna

The Mother - Sangeetha Priya Ilamparithi

The Son - Elliott Reid

Madama Pace - Beth Garcia Millions

The First Actor - Robbie Watson

The First Actress - Valena Axioti

The Second Actor - Gordon Kershaw

The Third Actor - Jorge Eduardo Martínez Esmeral

Directed and readapted by Lisa Guerriero

Who We Are 🎭
We are Herding Cats, an amateur drama group based between Nottingham and Derby. Organizing us? Well… it’s like herding cats! Yet, every year, despite the chaos, we come together to create something truly magical on stage. We always promise to be more organized next time, but let’s be honest, beautiful madness is just part of our nature. Because theatre isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are.

Our Origins 🌍
It all began years ago at Nottingham University as PGNT (Post Graduate New Theatre). We’ve always been an inclusive group, welcoming people from all backgrounds, not just academia. Over time, so many non-students joined that we somehow became a postgrad theatre group… with no students in it!

The Pandemic Pause ⏸️
Then, COVID-19 hit. We were forced to pause shortly after our "Absolutely, Perhaps!" production in January 2020. With rehearsals halted, we didn't return to the stage for almost two years. PGNT had drastically shrunk from about 20 members to just 10. But, like herding cats, we kept the spirit alive and returned stronger than ever.

The Cats Emerge 🐱
Out of university and being hit hard by the pandemic, we faced the ultimate “To be or not to be” moment. And we chose to be. Definitely be. That’s how Herding Cats was born. We committed to a bold new journey as an independent theatre company, investing time, energy, and resources to become what we are today. Our transition from PGNT to Herding Cats was marked by the perfect show: The Importance of Being (of course, to be!) Earnest. And with that, our next chapter began. With Romantic Fools, we took our first steps into a more professional future...