In March 2013, Liverpool’s iconic St Luke’s ‘bombed out’ Church will be the venue for the site specific world stage premiere of Tony Teardrop, the acclaimed play by award-winning Liverpool playwright Esther Wilson.
Tony Teardrop was originally written as part of a regional voices scheme with the National Theatre in 2004 but has never been produced as a stage production until now. Esther has also written an alternative radio version, based on true stories of homelessness in Manchester and working in collaboration with producer/director Pauline Harris where they met and followed several characters over many months, and this was first aired in March 2012 on B.B.C. Radio 3’s The Wire, it has since been re-commissioned as a Radio 4 drama for B.B.C. Radio 4 in November 2013
The stage premiere version set in and around a ‘wet house’ for homeless alcoholics and inspired by real stories, Tony Teardrop is a biting, humorous play about people living on the edges of society. We follow Tony on a journey through his interior landscape looking for the true meaning of ‘home’. We see the world through his relationships with fellow ‘space cadets’ and his struggles with the manager of the centre…until things come to a head when he takes the staff and residents hostage.
Cut to the Chase productions Artistic Director Jen Heyes will direct and produce the show, which runs between 21st March and 6th April 2013. Jen’s most recent projects Epstein: The Man Who Made the Beatles at the city’s Epstein Theatre and the large scale multi-media production TREASURED at the Anglican Cathedral were both met with widespread critical acclaim.
Writer, Esther Wilson said,“The production of Tony Teardrop, set in the beautiful ruins of St Luke’s Church, hopes to explore the complexities of the troubled and the homeless. In the lead up to the production we will be working with remarkable people who have made it their business to shine a light into the darker corners of this city. It’s an exciting and scary time. Every project has its own rhythm and process. This one, set outside in a place that was created to offer succour to people, will bring its own challenges. Walking past St Luke’s a couple of years ago I heard a guy (a little worse for wear) say to his mate ‘let’s sit over there on that bench, we’ll get a different view’. The other bench was just a few feet away. I was moved by the profundity of such a statement. I hope everyone involved in Tony Teardrop, including the audience, go away with a ‘different view’ of the people who are as much a part of this city as its leaders and its dignitaries.”
Tony Teardrop is funded by ACE and Liverpool PCT trust and production partners include The Basement, Genie in the Gutter who will be involved in a strong outreach programme working with the homeless.
Tickets for Tony Teardrop are priced at £10 for the preview performances (21st-25th March) Thereafter all tickets are priced at £16, £12 concessions and students £10 Monday-Thursday only, otherwise general concession. Group bookings available. The production runs from March 21st to April 6th 2013. Performances start at 8pm. Tickets can be purchased from the Playhouse Theatre on Williamson Square or online at www.everymanplayhouse.com.
Ian D. Hall