Code Tea Party opens Thursday 22nd October at the Golden Goose Theatre exploring two siblings through a darkly comedic edge. Learn more about what you can expect:
1: What inspired you to create this show?
I’m well acquainted with hospitals, both being in hospital beds myself and being the anxious next of kin sitting bedside. The view from both of these places is often very bleak. I have seen family members denied life-prolonging care because they were, “not sick enough. Yet.” And then there’s the paperwork, phone calls, waiting for approval from the insurance company, waiting months to see a specialist. Everyone needs or will need (or has a loved one who needs or will need) medical care, so it felt like it was begging to be made into a play. It’s a situation where the stakes are high, there’s plenty of tension, and plenty of opportunity for a good laugh.
2: The play combines dark themes with comedy. How do you balance this?
I think difficult subjects are best digested with a side of comedy. In my family, very little is off limits when it comes to using laughter to break the tension. In Code Tea Party, we have two siblings in one of the most difficult situations they will ever face, but they’re still two adult siblings who have had to move back in together and, of course, some childhood sibling dynamics come back. The situation is dark, but the relationships are where comedy can happen. Bodily functions meet high stakes life and death decisions? Comedy gold.
3: What has been the most exciting part about the production?
Seeing something I’ve written begin to take shape because of the actors’ interest, talent, ideas and investment is the most exciting part. We all have the same goal but with different ideas of how to achieve it, and that creates something I never could have imagined on my own.
4: Why are the topics relevant to modern society?
Plenty of health care systems are quite dysfunctional and some are following the US down the bureaucratic-privatized-underfunded “rabbit hole”. I hope Code Tea Party can serve as a cautionary tale or a call to action. When we’re at our most vulnerable is when we need the most support, and yet it’s when people are often left on their own and devalued.
5: What will audiences take away from the production?
When faced with Kafka-esque madness, you can’t predict what people will do.
6: What has been the most enjoyable part about creating Code Tea Party?
I’ve really loved seeing the play through from the beginning to the final product. From when it was just an idea to when it becomes a full performance. I’ve also really enjoyed the kind of co-creation process with the actors.
Code Tea Party opens Thursday 22nd October at the Golden Goose Theatre. Many thanks to Shannon Damery for answering our questions. Book your tickets here!
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