written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder || Translated by Denis Calandra
Directed by Saro Luxty-Cavallari Produced by Imogen Gardam
With Alex Chalwell, Jack Crumlin, Jemwel Danao, Deng Deng, Laura Djanegara, Deborah Galanos, Alice Keohavong, Emma Kew, Brendan Miles, Annie Stafford
Phoebe Zeitgeist has been sent to the earth from a distant star to write an eyewitness account of human democracy. But Phoebe Zeitgeist has a difficulty: although she has learned the words, she doesn’t understand human language.
Variations on the phrase ‘brutal satire of the middle class’ gets thrown around a lot but Fassbinder’s 1971 masterpiece takes the cake for absurdity and unrestrained venom. Seen through the eyes of the alien Phoebe Zeitgeist, Fassbinder weaves a tapestry of petty nastiness, jealousy, insecurity, bullying and domination as an ever-shifting cast of characters move closer towards Phoebe’s orbit and their own bloody fate. Hilarious and horrifying, Blood On The Cat’s Neck is a vibrant reminder of why the German rebel remains one of the most unique and revolutionary voices in theatre history.
Presented by Montague Basement
Costume design Grace Deacon Lighting Design Sophie Pekbilimli
Production Imagery: Jasmin Simmons Production Photography: Zainar Ahmed