John Straiton is the writer of The Boy With The Bee Jar (long-listed for the 2019 Bruntwood Prize), the first show to play at The Hope Theatre post reopening from 29 June – 17 July.
Colin Hurley will play ‘Euston’ opposite George Rowlands, a 2021 graduate of Rose Bruford College, making his professional debut as ‘The Boy’ in this production. The Boy with the Bee Jar is directed by Philip Wilson, playing until 17 July.
Your play, the Boy With The Bee Jar is coming to The Hope Theatre, what can you tell us about it?
The play’s about the meeting of two misfits on a North London council estate. A young guy who feels responsible for his dad’s death meets an ageing punk – a witness to the stabbing of a teenager. They are both scared, confused and torn apart by feelings of guilt and shame.
The Boy channels all his passion into observing a swarm of bees on the estate whose survival seems to be intertwined with his and the old punk’s redemption.
What inspired you to write the play?
There is some autobiographical detail in the play but the idea actually started life quite some time ago as a workshop poem in response to the tragic incidents leading up to the London (and UK) riots of 2011.
While the story is not at all about those particular events, I feel there is something of the spirit of that time in the piece. The subsequent and unrelenting string of violent deaths, especially of young people, got me thinking about my own relationship with gangs and violence in 1970s Glasgow.
Not so much as a victim or perpetrator but as an observer. Not a witness or accomplice but an unwilling participant nevertheless: a collaborator in the complicity of silence. One summer, the arrival of a swarm of bees on my estate was a welcome distraction from some of the more challenging aspects of day to day living
Tell us about the cast, and how they are bringing ‘Euston’ and ‘The Boy’ to life?
We’ve been so lucky to get two fantastic actors who on paper are as mismatched as their characters. Colin Hurley who plays Euston is an actor of considerable experience; a veteran of The Globe, The National and The RSC. George Rowlands in the title role of The Boy, hasn’t quite finished Drama School and is actually juggling rehearsals with his final Showcase. Like their characters the actors are bringing their generosity of spirit and playfulness to the business of telling stories with incredible wit and invention.
How does it feel to have your play reopening The Hope Theatre following its closure for the pandemic?
We’re absolutely delighted and feel privileged to be the opening act at The Hope as it emerges from lockdown. It’s an amazing fringe venue with an incredibly professional, friendly and supportive team and we’re thrilled to be part of the first wave of shows getting theatre back on stage in front of a live audience.
What challenges does this production face in the current climate?
Well, there are clear practical considerations to safeguard not only cast, crew and creatives but also audience members which, as in other sectors, involves a vigilant and responsible approach to hygiene and social distancing.
This clearly has to be our primary concern. The extension of the government’s social distancing restrictions has been disappointing for us in as much as it means we will be playing to 50% houses. Having said that, I feel there is a real hunger for live theatre and I’m hoping audiences will have the same feeling of being part of a bold and courageous return to live performance as we do regardless of restrictions.
What would you say to anyone thinking of coming to see The Boy With The Bee Jar?
This is a dark, strange and stylized piece with some dark and strange humour and if that’s how you like your stories then this is definitely for you. It’s a play about the problems of being an individual and of being part of a group and the responsibilities that those entail. Of being a caring father and of being a good son. About finding beauty in the ugly and everyday and embracing the darkness that always lurks just below the surface. About being a decent human being and doing the right thing. And about how bloody difficult that can be.
