Road (Modern Classics)

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It has been a delight to revisit this Lancashire street once again, and an honour to do so as part of Bench Theatre's 40th Anniversary celebrations.I hope that myself and the cast have done our jobs well enough that you find Road to be as exhilarating, rich, funny, poignant, and enduring as I do. Those people are poorer now,” says Tiffany, “and austerity has really started to dissolve the structure of civic life as we know it.” One of the most powerful things about Road, says Dudgeon, is that “it shows ordinary, struggling working-class characters and makes them into heroes”. Now, even more so than when the play was written, it’s rare to see honest yet positive portrayals of working-class life. The play has won a number of awards and was voted the 36th best play of the 20th century in a poll by the Royal National Theatre. [2] Notable productions [ edit ] But it's still all worth it for that last scene. Probably my favourite scene in any play ever, to be perfectly honest. Somehow a somehow.

Two - Octagon. Young Vic Theatre. Winner of: Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for Best New Play. directed by Andy Hay

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There are striking performances by Michelle Fairley, sadly hilarious in a scene where she vainly seeks to seduce a drunken soldier, and from Mark Hadfield and June Watson as solitary oldsters and from Shane Zaza and Faye Marsay as the death-haunted lovers. Among the old-timers, Peter Corrigan, David Penrose, Sally Hartley and Peter Woodward impress, while Ingrid Corrigan impresses and amuses mightily as the neighbourhood mad old bag. One always has faith in actors of this standing and here that faith is not betrayed.Tiffany’s new production at the Royal Court aims to celebrate the play’s history while also reimagining it. “It’s absolutely Road as written,” he says, “but it’s a very different presentation of it.” This revival is abandoning the now familiar promenade form, but it still bridges the usual gap between performers and audience. Chloe Lamford’s design features a set of steps that will connect the stage with the audience, allowing the cast to get in among the spectators.

Sharp describes the writing of Road in 1986 as “an urgent response to the society that was being unravelled and reimagined under our noses”. More than 30 years later, it still has a sense of urgency. “It’s nostalgic while being prophetic,” says Tiffany, observing how the drama both looks to the past and anticipates the widening gap between rich and poor. His production, he hopes, will demonstrate how relevant – politically and artistically – Road remains. “It’s another chance to explore the play and to see its place in theatre history, and how much it still says about now.”One night on Road in the late 1980s, somewhere in the north of England. Everyone's out on the lash. Eddie and Brink are dressing up before they go and sign on the next morning. Carol and Louise are maybe trying to get off with a couple of lads. The chippy's delivery hasn't arrived so they've only got chips. Eight Miles High - Octagon * 1994 & 1995 Bristol Theatre Royal Nominated for Theatre Management Association Best Musical Award. directed by Andy Hay In 1994 the play was produced by Out of Joint theatre and directed by Max Stafford-Clark. The production toured the UK and performed at the Leicester Haymarket and the Royal Court. Find sources: "Road"play– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( March 2010) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)