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This February, Northern Broadsides are set to stage the premiere of Deborah McAndrew’s (UK Theatre Award Best New Play winner An August Bank Holiday Lark) witty new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ great Northern novel of repression and longing Hard Times, directed by Northern Broadsides Resident director Conrad Nelson.
Imagine a world where imagination is forbidden. Coketown is such a place. Thomas Gradgrind will not permit fanciful thoughts in his school or his home. But what effect will this policy have on his own children, Tom and Louisa? How can he protect them from corrupting influences – especially when the circus comes to town?
Dark satanic mills, interrupted by the colour and vibrancy of Sleary’s Circus, set the stage for a sweeping tale of supressed love, seduction and social mores, peopled with the sharply observed exaggerated characters that Dickens is celebrated for.
Playwright Deborah McAndrew said about adapting the classic tale: ‘I’ve always admired Hard Times – Dickens’ one truly Northern novel. The title is a bit off putting, giving the impression of a story that is relentlessly grim. However, it’s full of all the usual brilliant Dickens characters, and lots of very good jokes. It’s also a life affirming story, and a manifesto against a dry, utilitarian approach to education and human discourse in general.”
Director Conrad Nelson added: “Nestled amongst the charcoal-etched towers of Dicken’s fictional Coketown sit the bold stripes of Ringmaster Sleary’s Gilliam-like circus tent. Hoop-la! It is in this vibrant three-ringed arena that we set our play and where we celebrate life, risk, adventure and the power of imagination.”
Hard Times will open at the Viaduct Theatre Halifax, from 16-24 February and will then tour to The Dukes Lancaster; The Lowry Salford; New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stephen Joseph Theatre; Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield; Liverpool Playhouse, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds and West Yorkshire Playhouse.
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