Difference between revisions of "Meeting Joe Strummer (2009)"

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== Introduction ==
 
== Introduction ==
  
Joe Strummer was lead singer with The Clash, famously described as “the only band that matter” in the late 1970s. In 2002 he died unexpectedly at the age of 50 of a heart defect.  
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So you saw the name of the play and your interest was piqued, but what did you think it’s about? Perhaps an anodyne “Buddy”-style Story Of The Clash; or maybe some inane jukebox musical along the lines of “We Will Rock You”? Kindly think again.
  
Paul Hodson's play was an Edinburgh Festival First winner in 2006 and toured the UK in 2007. SLT's production will be the amateur premiere of this passionate comedy about attitude, friendship and celebrity - and a celebration of the man who, for many, set the agenda for a generation
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[[Paul Hodson]] has written a perceptive, funny and hard-hitting play about male friendship, integrity and the struggle to retain youthful idealism in the face of life’s bitter blows, which was an Edinburgh Festival First winner in 2006 and toured the UK in 2007. SLT's production will be the amateur premiere of this passionate comedy.
  
Middle class '''Nick''' and working class '''Steve''' first meet at the Rock Against Racism rally at Victoria Park in 1978 where The Clash played, an experience that changes the course of both of their lives. Their story is told in a series of flashback and forward scenes with the actors playing their characters at all ages from 17 to fortysomethings along the way.  
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Fortysomethings Nick and Steve meet again for the first time in years at a gig by Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros. They have seen a lot since they first met as teenagers watching The Clash play the Rock Against Racism rally at Victoria Park in 1978: divorce, class warfare, acid house, the bleak Thatcher years and even soap stardom, but the flame of punk idealism – what they describe as the “inner Strummer” – has never quite gone out.  
  
Estranged for twenty years, they are reunited at one of Strummer’s last gigs with his later band The Mescaleros at Acton Town Hall. This was the same gig where Strummer played onstage for the first time in 20 years with Mick Jones, his songwriting partner from The Clash. In between Nick and Steve have been through a lot – divorce, acid house, the bleak Thatcher years and even soap stardom, but the flame of punk idealism – what they describe as the “inner Strummer” – has never quite gone out.
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Have they done what they wanted in their lives? Can they put their past differences behind them? And - most importantly - will they meet their hero Joe Strummer?
  
The action takes place on a “black box” set with no props, at many different locations and times, including their various homes, bars, a comedy club, an audition for drama school and, of course, several gigs. The Clash and The Mescaleros provide the majority of the soundtrack.  
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With a cast of only two, rapid jump cuts in time and place between scenes and nowhere to hide in the extremely intimate acting space in Prompt Corner, the play needs actors who are enthusiastic, imaginative, adaptable and brave.  
  
As a Clash fan I was initially attracted by the idea of a play featuring their music, but this is much more than the slight sort of piece that could suggest. Instead it’s a thoughtful, funny and perceptive work about male friendship, integrity and the struggle to retain youthful idealism in the face of life’s bitter blows.  
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[[Dave Chaisty]] will be well known to SLT audiences: this will be his eleventh part here in three years, including [[Straight and Narrow (2007)|Straight And Narrow]], [[Private Lives (2006)|Private Lives]], [[Aladdin (2007)|Aladdin]], [[The Winter's Tale (2008)|The Winter’s Tale]] and [[Tomfoolery (2006)|Tomfoolery]].
  
And it has a great soundtrack.  
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After a range of Shakespearean roles elsewhere, [[Philip Gill]] recently returned to SLT in [[Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (2008)|Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens]]. His previous performances here include [[Road (2005)|Road]], [[Two (2004)|Two]], [[Translations (2004)|Translations]] and [[Female Transport (2004)|Female Transport]].
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I am delighted to have such a strong and versatile cast who have been coming to rehearsals brimming with ideas, most of them far better than mine. This has been a truly collaborative production. I hope you enjoy it even more than we have.
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Mark Ireson
  
 
== Cast ==
 
== Cast ==

Revision as of 13:40, 3 January 2009

Poster by Emma Baines

by Paul Hodson

Directed by Mark Ireson

Performances: Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 January 2009, Prompt Corner


Introduction

So you saw the name of the play and your interest was piqued, but what did you think it’s about? Perhaps an anodyne “Buddy”-style Story Of The Clash; or maybe some inane jukebox musical along the lines of “We Will Rock You”? Kindly think again.

Paul Hodson has written a perceptive, funny and hard-hitting play about male friendship, integrity and the struggle to retain youthful idealism in the face of life’s bitter blows, which was an Edinburgh Festival First winner in 2006 and toured the UK in 2007. SLT's production will be the amateur premiere of this passionate comedy.

Fortysomethings Nick and Steve meet again for the first time in years at a gig by Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros. They have seen a lot since they first met as teenagers watching The Clash play the Rock Against Racism rally at Victoria Park in 1978: divorce, class warfare, acid house, the bleak Thatcher years and even soap stardom, but the flame of punk idealism – what they describe as the “inner Strummer” – has never quite gone out.

Have they done what they wanted in their lives? Can they put their past differences behind them? And - most importantly - will they meet their hero Joe Strummer?

With a cast of only two, rapid jump cuts in time and place between scenes and nowhere to hide in the extremely intimate acting space in Prompt Corner, the play needs actors who are enthusiastic, imaginative, adaptable and brave.

Dave Chaisty will be well known to SLT audiences: this will be his eleventh part here in three years, including Straight And Narrow, Private Lives, Aladdin, The Winter’s Tale and Tomfoolery.

After a range of Shakespearean roles elsewhere, Philip Gill recently returned to SLT in Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens. His previous performances here include Road, Two, Translations and Female Transport.

I am delighted to have such a strong and versatile cast who have been coming to rehearsals brimming with ideas, most of them far better than mine. This has been a truly collaborative production. I hope you enjoy it even more than we have.

Mark Ireson

Cast

Crew

Reviews

Some review quotes go here


Gallery

Reminiscences and Anecdotes

Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.

See Also

Have there been other SLT productions of this play? Link to them here.

Or add anything that is related within this site. The author's page for instance or other plays with a similar theme.

What are the red arrows on the poster all about?

<references/> The poster is based on a stencil painting (or pochoir as they are called in France) by spraycan artist Jef Aérosol, who very kindly allowed us to use it without payment. Jef's pochoirs (which are easily recognised by his signature red arrows) can be seen on walls, doors and other spaces in cities around the world, on his Flickr site or in his book.

External Links