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New staging of working class classic play
Townsend Productions is delighted to announce that it will be staging a new production of Stephen Lowe’s critically acclaimed version of Robert Tressell’s The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists at Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts from September 14th – 15th.
Using instrumentation, songs of the period, movement, physicalisation, comedy and characterisation to create the spirit and clarity of the political message, the play shares with its audience a year in the life of a group of painters and decorators, as they renovate a three-storey town house for Mayor Sweater. It traces their struggle for survival in a complacent and stagnating Edwardian England. These workers are the “philanthropists” who throw themselves into back-breaking work for poverty wages in order to generate profit for their masters
Performed as a two-hander, the production, which coincides with the centenary anniversary of the author’s death remains as vivid and as relevant as when it was written almost a century ago, runs.
Robert Tressell’s The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, has become a classic of working-class literature since its first publication in 1914. The themes and style of the piece are eternally relevant and provoking as it puts life and politics into sharp focus in an entertaining and accessible way. What, with a Tory-led coalition government in power, and that the year 2011 is the centenary anniversary of Robert Tressell’s death, the company felt it was the right time for this show to be seen on tour nationally.
Stephen Lowe’s version of the story was first seen in 1978, when Joint Stock Theatre Company toured the country playing to packed houses. The play was revived at the Half Moon Theatre, London in 1983 and again for a touring production by the Birmingham Rep in 1991.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’ excellent cast features Rodney Matthew who joins the production straight off the back of Jerusalem in the West End. He has worked at many of the leading repertory theatres these have included: West Yorkshire Playhouse where he worked for a year and at Dundee Rep where he spent a memorable five years performing in classical, musical and new work around Scotland and Neil Gore (Song of Singapore, Chichester Festival Theatre and the West end). The production is directed by Louise Townsend, with the creative team including designs by Fine Time Fontayne.
The play has had the Backing of the unions RMT, Unite, TUC, GMB, PCS, Wales TUC, NUT, and the FBU, NASUWT, UCATT and ACCORD,
For more info visit www.townsendproductions.org.uk
Studio
Friday 14th – Saturday 15th September 2.30pm & 8.00pm
Tickets: £12.00 / discounts available (Age 11+)
Tickets & information 0844 406 8666
www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
by admin