Chicken Pasta

This is Katie's second piece of writing for Top Button Theatre Company, having written Reasons To Be Myself back in 2018. Reasons To Be Myself was performed at The Liverpool Arts Theatre in 2018 and The Local Theatre, Sheffield in 2019.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

2,600 young people are diagnosed with Bowel Cancer every year and the rates are continuing to rise, with the most significant increase being among individuals in their twenties. Those diagnosed in the early stages are often given around ten years to live, however, only fifty percent of cases make it to this deadline. The life expectancy of those diagnosed with a later stage are far less optimistic; often being given mere months to live. With such bleak prospects, I couldn't help but wonder why this is not talked about enough. Unfortunately, the intimate and vulnerable nature of this type of Cancer often means that individuals don't feel comfortable sharing their symptoms and leave it too late for diagnosis. I wanted this piece to reflect some of the more private and less talked about impacts of Bowel Cancer; from the repercussions on intimate relationships and losing control over the body, to being a young person having to decide what they want for their own funeral. I hope the play will give a wider understanding of the impact of Cancer, not only on the individual but also on the people they love. I hope that more conversations are started about 'The Big C' no, not Chicken Pasta the play (although admittedly, that would be great), but of course about: CANCER.