Pat Douthwaite: Alive and Kicking

For its ninth production and in celebration of the twentieth year of Heroica’s existence, company founders writer Anna Carlisle and performer Alexandra Mathie teamed up once more and turned their attention to the life and unique art of Pat Douthwaite (1934-2002).

Douthwaite was a true maverick and a misunderstood genius. An artist of extraordinary and unique vision, she did everything in her power to dazzle the Edinburgh art scene from the 1960s to the turn of the millennium, and to both express and share her uncompromising vision of the world, especially of women. Alas, she generally went down amiss in art circles, both Scotland- and country-wide - with the exception of a mere handful of perceptive people who could find nothing but genius in her work - and the wider world was simply not ready for her. Only of more recent years are the scales falling from people’s eyes, with the works of this prolific and irrepressible painter beginning to be seen as palatable, worthy of hanging on people’s walls and invariably stunning.

And Pat Douthwaite’s private world is no less easy to witness. The production offers self-flagellating rages, outrageously demanding telephone conversations, engaging explanations of some of Douthwaite’s most notable paintings (in projected-image form) and moments of poignant self-reflection, all gently underscored by Dave Brubeck piano music (played on stage by Angie Cairns).

Pat Douthwaite: Alive and Kicking is a powerful one-woman show that pulls no punches, and shines a bright light on this wickedly undersung Scottish artist.
 
The production premiered in September 2024 and saw thrilling performances at

     The Space, Hebden Bridge Town Hall (3 performances),
     the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, National Galleries of Scotland, and
     Glasgow Women’s Library,

followed in January 2025 by a full-house performance at

     Lyon and Turnbull, Edinburgh,

then a delightful ‘surprise’ performance in June 2025 at

the Community Hall, Isle of Berneray, the Outer Hebrides

and two shows, in early July, at

Old Parcels Office, Scarborough (part of the Scarborough Fair 2025).

In the summer, more shows followed, at

the Lillie Gallery, Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire,

then a further (fourth) performance - by public demand - at our home base:

The Space, Hebden Bridge Town Hall

to culminate, in early September, in a performance at

the Kirkcudbright Fringe Festival, Dumfries & Galloway.

All performances, most of which were full houses, were followed by lively and fascinating Q&As with the writer and actor. Over the 12 performance months, we met a wide range of wonderful people: audiences, venue providers and old friends. It was a joy - and …

It was a ‘triumph’ indeed!

Please remember you can DONATE to new Heroica projects by going to the SUPPORT US page of the Heroica website: 
https://www.heroicatheatrecompany.co.uk/supportus