A gallery of specially commissioned drawings by Penny McCarthy for the Beware the Cat project, which are used throughout the performance.
Penny’s drawings augment Baldwin’s story with a view to expanding its appeal beyond those already familiar with the text. This on-going series of over a hundred drawings has evolved over the duration of the research project in response to each new reading of the text.
Drawn fast and freehand with ink and brush, this body of work presents a poetic and evocative counterpoint to the narrative, sometimes following the story and occasionally proposing alternative interpretations or points of view. The world of the cats dominates the visual material: we follow the story through their eyes, catching occasional glimpses of human presence only through empty rooms, stairwells and curious objects.
Two Cats Talking Cat with Mouse Hole Hissing Cat Bigger Grimalkin Cat shadow puppet 2 Clock 5 o’clock Grimalkin standing Cat Claws Cat Shadow Puppet Arching Hissing Cat Cat with Kitten and Mouse Candles London Houses Big Cat Hissing Black Cat Cat Walking 2 Cats Plotting BW Cat Tree Kitten with Book Leonardo Cat Three Cats