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CAT AND MOUSE

'Cat and Mouse' was adapted from the novella by Gunter Grass of the same name, his sequel to 'The Tin Drum'. It is a vivid and grotesque portrait of Joachim Mahlke as he grows from schoolboy to soldier, taking his huge adam's apple and heroic escapades from the submerged submarines of Danzig harbour to the battlefield. This figure looms large in the life of the narrator, Pilenz, who shares his recollections with awe and pinpoint accuracy. 

We took this story as an opportunity to explore the workings of memory, how they are stored, reinforced, altered and erased over time in words and images. Pellegrino's 'Cat and Mouse' included original characters, such as The Hippocampus, half-man, half-seahorse, who led the audience on this exploration. 

It was devised by Jessica Barker-Wren, Pablo Navarro-MacLochlainn and Kate O'Connor. The ensemble included Charles Marshall and Joseph Ambrose-Edwards. Music consultation was given by Katrina Damigos. The first half was performed at the Arcola Studio 2 in September 2011, and we hope to complete this work whilst we still remember our lines.

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