“Risk Assessment”, a thought-provoking play written for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019 and performed by Cayman-based theatre group Thespian & Proud, will make its debut in the Cayman Islands on Saturday, 29 February at the National Cultural Foundation’s annual Red Sky at Night festival. The 45-minute play explores difficult and challenging themes such as feminism, stereotypes, misogynism, motherhood, career prospects, rape, sexual harassment and domestic abuse and the differing experiences of three separate women.

Written by playwright, director, actress and Cayman resident, Kirsty Halliday (who also goes by O’Sullivan), Risk Assessment is set against the backdrop of a conference room where the three women are being taught “How to Reduce the Risk of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace”. During the session break, they discuss their very different viewpoints, which leads to emotionally charged and occasionally harrowing revelations.

The play is very relevant and will resonate with audiences, particularly in this post #MeToo era where the sexual harassment and assault of women have come to the forefront. Ms. Halliday, who is also the acting coach at the Prospect Playhouse, said it was written as a “happy accident”.

“We were looking for a three-woman play originally, and found there weren’t many that worked for us as most we read either painted offensive stereotypes or featured two-dimensional characters,” she said. “This play covers topics that are meaningful to us, featuring characters we can relate to on some level. It can be harsh at points, and funny at others but it is honest throughout. We hope that it will get a larger discussion going, and help people understand why some people have the viewpoints they do.”

“We are looking forward to having “Risk Assessment” performed at Red Sky At Night. It will make audiences laugh in one moment and be touched emotionally in the next. This is a clever way to handle such sensitive issues and we expect audiences to come away enlightened,” said Henry Muttoo, Artistic Director for the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF).

“Risk Assessment” is the featured theatre piece at this year’s Cayfest and will be performed at Red Sky at Night in the Studio Theatre. The play stars Emma Gladstone as Caroline, Kirsty Halliday as Lily, Agata Kalicki as Jane and Andy Litwiller as Will.

Red Sky At Night takes place on Saturday, 29 February on the grounds of the Harquail Theatre from 4pm to midnight, and is sponsored by Hurley’s Media, Pepsi, Compass Media, Radio Cayman, Walkers Global, Island Heritage, Water Authority and Cayman Spirits.

TICKETS

Tickets for Red Sky At Night are $15 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and $10 for seniors (65+) and students ages 13 to 17, and are available for purchase online now at www.eventpro.ky.

For more information about Cayfest, email [email protected], call 949.5477 or visit www.artscayman.org/cayfest.

The Cayman National Cultural Foundation

For more than 30 years, the non-profit Cayman National Cultural Foundation has carried out its mission of stimulating, facilitating and preserving Caymanian cultural and artistic expression. CNCF has achieved this through the extensive development of wide-ranging programmes. These programmes include stage productions, creative education for young people, free workshops and financial support of artists, as well as festivals, publications, national recognition of artistic and cultural achievement and the preservation of Caymanian heritage, and arts and culture for future generations.