A charitable housing association has hosted two theatre performances as part of a campaign to highlight homelessness.

Hightown Housing Association held two performances of Cathy, a modern-day version of the classic Cathy Come Home - a drama about a young couple and their children who are in a trap of debt, homelessness and poverty.

The play was produced by Cardboard Citizens theatre group at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans as part of Hightown’s campaign to highlight the continuing plight of homeless people in today’s society.

Both shows were played to packed audiences, including residents from Hightown’s three homelessness services in St Albans - Martin House in Upper Lattimore Road, Open Door in Bricket Road and Kent House in New Kent Road.

Cardboard Citizens have been performing for and with homeless people for 25 years and the play supports a range of initiatives organised by the Homes for Cathy group - a national alliance of housing associations helping to raise awareness of homeless people as a direct response to the first screening of Cathy Come Home in 1966.

David Bogle, Hightown chief executive, said: “Despite the work of housing associations over the past 50 years, the problem of homelessness has not gone away.

“There is simply not enough affordable housing around to meet housing needs.”

In addition, Hightown organised a performance for pupils from Samuel Ryder Academy and Townsend Church of England School in St Albans.

Nikki Ward, head of drama at Samuel Ryder Academy, said: “The play was amazing and the pupils got so much out of it.”