Cassie and the Lights (NHB Modern Plays)

When her mother disappears, teenager Cassie wants to care for her sisters on her own. But can kids be parents? Or should Cassie let foster parents adopt her sisters and create a new family? Alex Howarth's play Cassie and the Lights is a tender and playful examination of what makes a family and what holds it together. Based on real-life events and interviews with children in care, it celebrates the resilience of young people and the power of sisterhood. The play has been performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, VAULT Festival in London, 59E59 in New York City and Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia. It toured the UK in 2024, produced by Patch of Blue and 3 hearts canvas, in association with Southwark Playhouse and Verse Unbound. 'Glows in the darkness... a thoughtful, warm, moving hour that will leave you wanting to call whoever you think of as family' - Guardian 'Bursts with life and quirkily observed truths' - The Stage

Alex Howarth is a theatre director and writer based in London. He is the Artistic Director of multi-award winning Patch of Blue, who create original theatre pieces with live music for festivals and touring. His plays include Cassie and the Lights, written, designed and co-directed by Howarth (VAULT and Adelaide Festivals, 2020; Edinburgh Fringe, 2022; Brits Off Broadway, New York, 2023; Southwark Playhouse and Theatre Royal Plymouth, 2024).