A HARD-HITTING play set in 1980s Britain will be coming to Chester Little Theatre this month.
Rehearsals are in full swing for the staging of Road, which will run from Saturday, January 13 until Saturday, January 20 at 7.30pm.
The first play to be written by celebrated playwright Jim Cartwright, Road premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre in 1986 and is set on typical road in a working-class town in Lancashire, Mrs Thatcher is in No.10 and unemployment is at an all time high in the North of England.
Directed for Chester Little Theatre by Dani Zebrowska, the play follows the lives and relationships of the people who live in the neighbourhood as they get ready to go out, visit the pub, the club, visit their friends.
Hard hitting and often explicit in nature with strong language and adult themes, sometimes desperate, often laugh out loud funny, Road is a passionate, poetic and positive portrayal of working class life in eighties Britain.
The play won numerous awards including the George Devine Award, Plays and Players Award and the Samuel Beckett Award. Its original productions attracted many young actors who have since gone to become well known, such as Jane Horrocks, David Thewlis and Lesley Sharp.
Speaking about the play, Dani Zebrowska said: "Jim Cartwright's Road was first produced in 1986; a time of high unemployment, political despair, and recession. It has been called 'a rallying cry against the breakdown of society', a 'surreal vision', 'uncomfortable and magical, funny and bitter.'
"One of my favourite plays, it is a challenging and emotional piece with themes that resonate whenever and wherever it's seen. The whole team are really excited to bring this production to life in a way that will bring audiences into the world of Road and I think we've created something quite different for Chester Little Theatre audiences to experience."
Chester Little Theatre will then welcome back theatre company Against The Grain as they present Alan Ayckbourn's comedy Roleplay in February.
Full details of Road can be found at www.chesterlittletheatre.co.uk and tickets can be purchased online. (Recommended age 14+)
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