A newly-written musical
Nun the Wiser
Dreamgirls meets Sister Act, meets Mean Girls… all set in an 18th-century convent.
We will begin this project by putting on a work-in-progress workshop in February 2026 where we can test out material and gather feedback. Following this, the goal is to produce the full musical later in the year! Find out more below.
About this project
Nun the Wiser is a newly written musical comedy set in a nunnery in 18th centure Italy. As musicals often take years to bring to the stage, we will begin this project as a work-in-progress workshop in February 2026, with the goal of putting on the full show in the future.
About the Workshop
A workshop is a valuable way to test out the show while also providing training to participants who get the opportunity to be part of a musical with minimal time commitment and low stress. It also serves as a platform to gather feedback from the theater community, who, while understanding this is a work in progress, can still assess the story arc and music and offer constructive suggestions.
About Nun the Wiser
The Nun the Wiser story focuses on the lives of seven nuns. On the surface, they appear devout and ordinary, but beneath that exterior lies a world of interpersonal relationships, conflicts, and repressed emotions. Within the convent, the only permitted form of artistic expression is composing and performing religious music.
Their lives are thrown into turmoil when the famous composer Antonio Vivaldi comes to hear their compositions. As a man, he has the power to change their lives and introduce their music to the outside world. When the nuns ask Mr. Vivaldi to review their own works, he is shocked by the explicit lyrics about love and sexuality. In response, the monastic elder threatens to ban these artistic expressions entirely.
Against the backdrop of a historical setting, this musical explores facets of women’s interactions with each other and just how far a lifetime of sexual repression can take you.
Dreamgirls meets Sister Act, meets Mean Girls, all set in an 18th-century convent.
Meet the team
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Jon Madge
Director
Jon is a writer and director with a love for new and innovative theatre. Since moving to Amsterdam, they’ve worked on several award winning productions, including the Cauldron’s Addams Family and DSL’s The Arsonists, both praised for their direction, and helped found the Campfire of New Writing night of short plays. Jon’s just finishing work on Keeping the Zoo, an audio sitcom homage to classic radio comedies, which will launch on all good podcast apps later this year.
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Kat Carson
Music Director
Kat began singing lessons at 11 after being cast as a “tango dancing fish” in her school play—a twist of fate that sparked a lifelong love of performing. While studying music at Sussex University, she worked with the BREMF Community Choir and made her recording debut on Musica Secreta’s Lucrezia Borgia’s Daughter, later performing on BBC Radio 3. In the Netherlands, Kat earned her Masters at FONTYS and founded ensembles The Wandering Bard and Nymphes & Monstres, creating innovative projects. She also founded The Cauldron, producing musicals and teaching, and recently debuted her first script, Nun the Wiser.
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Caitlynn Schijff (coming soon)
Concept Artist
Caitlynn Schijff(she/her), an enthusiastic jack of all trades who's driven by curiosity and a love for all things ostentatious.
Hailing from a background in video games and digital artistry, she chose to focus on the digital crafting and archiving of historical garments.
Which led her to acquire skills from both the physical as well as digital realm.
Under the pseudonym Venus Ferieuse, she commits burlesque with a loving blend of history, humor and heart.
Questions?
Please don’t hesitate to send us an email at contact@cauldronperformingarts.com