Katherine Moar: Redefining the History Play
Episode description
Following her smash hit debut play Farm Hall, Katherine Moar is returning to Jermyn Street Theatre with her latest play: Ragdoll, based on the Patty Hearst trial. With just 4 actors, the play takes audiences to the centre of the celebrity, violence, and scandal of 1970s America. Focused on the power dynamics between "the heiress" and her lawyer Robert, the play also takes audiences to 2017 where Robert faces a trial of his own in the court of public opinion. We see stark parallels between events of today and that of the 1970s and Katherine Moar carefully crafts characters provide audiences with food for thought.
In this new interview, Katherine Moar talks to us about her experience of bringing her plays to the stage whilst also pursuing a PhD in History. We reflect on the success of Farm Hall which transferred from Jermyn Street to a UK wide tour before playing in the West End. During our conversation, Katherine shares with us the challenges of being a new writer and shares her hopes that the theatre ecosystem would evolve to champion new writers into becoming established writers. It will be interesting to see if Ragdoll follows the same success as Farm Hall and we look forward to seeing more of Katherine's works being staged in the future.
Ragdoll runs at Jermyn Street Theatre until 15 November 2025.