Topic: Beyond Hillsborough: Edinburgh Festival play NOW COMING TO LIVERPOOL

[۩ Imperator ۩]

I have just got home from the first public preview performance of Beyond Hillsborough at the school where I am a teacher. It is a dramatisation of how the lives of various families and other interested parties has been indelibly marked by the Hillsborough tragedy. The play was written by two drama teachers at the school, Jo Halliday and Layla Dowie, and is based on many hours of interviews done with (amongst others) Stephen Kelly, Jenni Hicks, Sheila Coleman, Kenny and Wendy Derbyshire, Jimmy McGovern, Neil Sampson, Brian Reade, Rogan Taylor, Steve Rotheram and Rob White. Many of these interviewees were also present tonight for the premiere.

I have to confess, when I heard about the endeavour, I was a little worried. I wondered whether a bunch of teenagers (mostly 6th formers) would be able to deal appropriately with the content of the interviews and represent the issues accurately and with the proper sensitivity.

I have left the school this evening absolutely knocked for six. The play was remarkable, and all the more so for the fact that it was performed by young amateur actors, so young they were not alive at the time of the disaster. They performed the roles of the real family members and other interested parties with real sensitivity, emotion, humour and heartbreak. Joe Davies' portrayal of Stephen Kelly in particular was absolutely breathtaking, and Rachel Jones (yes, a girl!) playing Rogan Taylor was brilliant and very funny.

It was certainly not a piece that shied away from some difficult issues, and one of the areas explored was the divisions between the three campaign groups, as well as the personal stories of the bereaved. It was a remarkable piece of theatre, and very professionally produced.

The teenagers involved have been raising money for some months to take the show to the Edinburgh Festival, and managed to reach the £16k total they needed to put the play on in the Scottish capital and bring the issues to a wider audience - the Edinburgh Festival is, as we know, an international event. It will play from August 6-11 at 11.40am at Venue 40 (Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace), and I would encourage anyone who lives in central Scotland or who is visiting the Festival to make the effort and go and see the play (which lasts an hour). The tickets are £8/£5 concessions.

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/beyond-hillsborough?day=06-08-2012&performance=1:3137

http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/scotland/edinburgh-fringe-festival-looks-beyond-the-tragedy-of-hillsborough-1-2237999

[MichaelA]

Spotted this when the Fringe guide came out. Baby due next Friday otherwise I would have booked this weeks ago. Hope it goes well for your colleagues. 

[kemlyn1974]

I'm going to the festival but sadly after their run is finished according to the dates . Gutted. I wish the company well and hopefuly I'll get to see their work another time. How reassuring it is to know that young people who were not even with us at the time of Hillsborough can understand and then represent in their own way the realities of the disaster. Tradition , culture, pride , dignity, respect - it's stiil there, just harder than ever to see sometimes.

[blurred]

Shame we're not up there till later in the month for the Fringe. Good luck to them with it, though

[kavah]

Thanks for the review, it does sound like a remarkable piece of work. Thanks for posting

[edeyj]

Saw this and have it bookmarked to potentially see it. I must admit I had (maybe still have) some reservations. I was at Hillsborough and find it difficult to watch TV programmes that deal with the subject. However, I may just go along to support the venture, so thanks for the review.

[24/7]

Great to see a bunch of 6th formers not only taking on such a task but by your account doing it so well. Education, education, education.....
 
If you manage to get a video link/file or anything like that, I'd love to see it.

[۩ Imperator ۩]

I won't be speaking to anyone at school about it until after the event now as we just broke up for summer, so I can't get any videos or photos. Sorry!

[24/7]

No worries, I'll keep an eye out on the interwez for any commentary from the festival. If anyone else happens to see anything from reviews, or goes to it themselves, do us all a favour and update this thread

[shanklylass]

Definitely one for me as I live in the city. Will sort out tickets for this and let you know what I think.

[Cracking Left Foot]

Just bumping this as I went to see it on Tuesday when I was up in Edinburgh. Can only wholeheartedly agree with the OP, it's a beautifully written and performed piece that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. Also taught me a couple of things I didn't realise, such as how Duckenfield came to be in the job in the first place and how he was despised by most of the officers he commanded.

Joe Davies was utterly outstanding, as were the rest of the cast.

If you're up in Edinburgh for the Fringe, it's well worth checking out especially as it's on reasonably early (11.40am) before the rest of the shows get going.

[24/7]

Any chance of anyone close to the performers asking them if they'd consider publishing the script?

[۩ Imperator ۩]

The play has now finished, so this topic can be un-stickied, thanks! Apparently, the run was a big success and was very well received. I'll ask about the script in September.

[۩ Imperator ۩]

You might all be interested to know that the play will now have a run in Liverpool at the Lantern Theatre in Blundell Street in September. Would be great if lots of people could turn up to support the venture. It's on the 10th and 11th of September.

[24/7]

You might all be interested to know that the play will now have a run in Liverpool at the Lantern Theatre in Blundell Street in September. Would be great if lots of people could turn up to support the venture. It's on the 10th and 11th of September.

I arrive on the 12th