CityLife

Time to savour best of 24:7

PICK OF THE BUNCH: As We Forgive Them

NO sooner has this year’s fantastic 24:7 Festival finished than news comes in of another chance to see three of the best productions in a month’s time at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton.

The enlighteningly titled Three Of The Best From 24:7 season runs from Wednesday, September 16 until Friday, September 18.

During the 24:7 Festival – which ran from July 20-26 and featured no less than 21 brand-new plays – audiences were asked to rate each performance they saw.

The results, backed up by the opinions of professional reviewers, gave rise to the shows to go through to the prestigious best of the festival showcase.

All three productions received awards at the first ever 24:7 Festival Week Audience Awards.

As We Forgive Them won the accolade for favourite production, Eve Steele won favourite actress for her portrayal of a two-year-old boy in Lub You and Peter Ash won favourite actor for his role as the psychotic Rob in 5.30.

“We were inundated with applications for the festival this year and had to increase the quota of participants from 16 to 21 as the writing was of such high quality. But each of these productions rightly deserves a place in the festival spin off,” says festival director David Slack

As We Forgive Them, written by and starring Richard Vergette, tells the story of an American Congressman who controversially saves his daughter’s murderer from the death penalty in order to educate the man on his wrong-doings.

Richard, who recently recently auditioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company, is delighted at his production being chosen for the showcase: “I’m just thrilled that my play is being included in Three of the Best,” he enthuses.

“I watched both other plays during festival week, as did my fellow actor Joe Sims, and we’re honoured to be in such excellent company. I’m still buzzing from the festival and now really excited about performing again and taking it forward.”

Lub You, written by and starring Eve Steele, tells the story of two-year-old Charlie, whose world is turned upside down by the birth of his baby brother.

Since becoming a mother herself, Eve has her own perspective on what life is like from a baby’s point of view. This play is the result of the chaos that ensued, putting the audience in the mind of a two year old.

Eve has been an actress for the past 15 years, most famously in Coronation Street where she played Curly Watt’s psycho girlfriend, who, as some of you may remember, ended up meeting a grisly end, dying in the freezer.

5:30, by Alistair MacDowell, is set on a train, which is where aggressive, manic Rob meets quiet and reserved Tim. The play charts the unlikely friendship between the pair, who unexpectedly bond over childhood hopes and dreams and regret. The story is based on a true episode when Alistair was accosted by a fellow train passenger who divulged his whole life story, world opinions and thoughts to him.
 
The Octagon Theatre is also holding an intriguing workshop on Saturday, September 19. Entitled Investigating Three Of The Best and chaired by Martin Thomasson, senior creative writing lecturer at the University of Bolton, the session will offer an insight into the background of the plays and allow the audience to discuss them with the writer, cast and director of each of them. Audience members can thus contribute to the development of the production, giving vital feedback as to how the plays can move forward.

Three Of The Best From 24:7 runs at Bolton Octagon from September 16-18. Starting at 7pm each night, the plays will run in the following order: 5:30, Lub You and As We Forgive Them. Tickets are priced at £10-£12 to see all three shows and can be purchased from www.octagonbolton.co.uk or by calling 01204 520 661. Investigating Three of The Best starts at 10am on Saturday, September 19 and costs £14-£16, including seeing the productions.