On Saturday 19 December 1981, the Penlee lifeboat ‘Solomon Browne’, was launched in hurricane conditions to go to the aid of the coaster ‘Union Star’ that had engine failure and was being swept towards the southern coast of Cornwall. It was an attempted rescue which ranks not only with the greatest in the history of the RNLI, but with any human achievement. Marking 40 years since the event, Into The Night is a unique theatrical performance broadcast live on Saturday 18 December 2021 at 5.30pm.
Into The Night has been adapted by playwright and screen writer Frazer Flintham from Penlee RNLI volunteer and author Michael Sagar-Fenton’s book Penlee: The Loss of a Lifeboat. It is directed by Original Theatre Company’s Alastair Whatley.
The cast will include: Hubert Burton (The Inheritance), Tom Chambers (Father Brown, Holby City, Apollo 13: The Dark Side of The Moon), Cornish actor Robert Duncan (Drop The Dead Donkey, Casualty, Twelve Angry Men), Cornish actresses Susan Penhaligon (The Mousetrap, A Fine Romance, Emmerdale) and Hazel Simmons, and Tim Treloar (Birdsong, The Haunting of Alice Bowles, Bombshell). Further casting is to be announced.
The production is presented by Original Theatre Company (the team behind Birdsong Online and Apollo 13: The Dark Side of The Moon) in association with Martyn Hayes. It is designed by Michael Pavelka with camera direction by North South Culture, sound by Dominic Bilkey and music by James Findlay.
Into The Night will be an unforgettable performance remembering the courage, dedication and heroism of the Penlee lifeboat crew.
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Frazer Flintham said: “It can be easy to forget that crew members on lifeboats in the UK are all volunteers. Electricians, teachers, builders – all willing to drop everything to go out into all weathers, and rescue people they’ve likely never met. I was drawn to this story for its humbling and very human reminder, of what bravery can really mean.”
Alastair Whatley said: “The story of the Penlee Lifeboat is one of the most humbling, awe inspiring stories of ordinary people being thrust into unimaginable conditions and risking everything to save others. It’s a story that touches all who hear it and our hope is to share this incredible story all over the world in what is without doubt one of our most ambitious live broadcasts yet attempted.”
To book for the live streamed production click here
