Catnip

A play by James Ernest

Derrick suffers a prolonged episode of impotence and uses his self-help group Manspeak as a means to escape his own life, and to avoid his own marital issues.
His impotence has a deep and unspoken effect on his wife, Julie, who diverts her attention to other things. She develops an obsession with the nonsensical, and this begins to have an effect on her balance of mind. Her behaviour becomes erratic, unpredictable, and eventually cruelly violent.

James Ernest is a graduate of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme. His first play, The 8th Wave was shortlisted for the Soho Young Writers’ Award. Also published by Playdead Press.