Paul Simpson as new male lead for world première of Fireflies
New male lead for world première of Fireflies
World Première of Fireflies, A love story waiting to happen
Starring Naomi Radcliffe & Paul Simpson
The Lowry, Fri 16 - Sat 31 October 2009
Press Night: Tue 20 October, 8pm
Written by Kevin Fegan & directed by Noreen Kershaw
The Lowry is delighted to announce that Paul Simpson (well known for his roles in many TV programmes including Coronation Street, Heartbeat and The Street) will star alongside Naomi Radcliffe in Fireflies. Replacing Brian McCardie* as the male lead, Paul will be directed by Noreen Kershaw in this enthralling new play written by one of the North West's leading playwrights, Kevin Fegan and produced by The Lowry.
Paul won Best Actor in a supporting role at the MEN theatre awards in 2008 for Road and Spring and Port Wine at the Bolton Octagon. As well as many appearances on stage, he is a familiar face on television and has played many different roles. These include Nick Clayton in Coronation Street as well as Cold Feet, Queer as Folk, Wire in the Blood, The Royal and Casualty. Lancashire actor Paul first found fame when he was an unknown 14-year-old schoolboy, picked from obscurity to play the lead role in 1990s film Nature Of The Beast, set in and around his home town of Oswaldtwistle.
Naomi played Alison Wakefield on Coronation Street for two years between 1998 and 2000 before her character was written out in a scene that saw her commit suicide by jumping in front of a lorry. Watched by 17 million viewers, this departure won Radcliffe the British Soap Award for ‘Best Exit’. From 2002 to 2005 she played Jean Bradshaw in the BBC drama Born and Bred and she played Bev in the BBC Three situation comedy The Visit, in 2007.
Fireflies tells the stories of Leigh and Nelson, two lonely hearts coming face to face with the reality of their lives. Told with a fierce frankness, this darkly comic and moving script brilliantly conveys their resilience in the face of hardship. This extraordinary production combines text with film and computer graphics to create visually stunning storytelling and a uniquely theatrical experience.
Since originating the title role in the Shirley Valentine play, Noreen Kershaw has performed and directed both on stage and television to great acclaim and is now directing the world premiere of Fireflies, a love story for the 21st century. Noreen comments, “When I read the script I was immediately drawn to the humour and frankness of the story and knew at once it would transfer perfectly to stage. It’s definitely a love story for the 21st Century, something we can all identity with, the highs, the lows and the hardships we face. Leigh and Nelson have a few things in common, both unlucky in love, both resilient and both looking for a new life.”
Paul is delighted to be working with Noreen again after they collaborated at the Bolton Octagon on award-winning productions. Paul is one of the founding directors of Little Bigman Films and is due to begin shooting a short film in January. Paul dedicates his performance in this production to Donna, Daisy and Harry.
Fireflies forms part of The Lowry’s No Boundaries season this Autumn showcasing new, innovative and exhilarating theatre brought by some of the north’s leading talent. Beyond the Front Line is a large-scale, outdoor theatre co-production between one of the most groundbreaking theatre companies in the UK, Slung Low and The Lowry. Slung Low also debut their spine-tingling horror installation, They Only Come at Night: Resurrection, in association with The Lowry.
Robert Robson, The Lowry’s Artistic Director, says “Following on from the success of King Cotton in 2007 and in the run-up to The Lowry’s 10th birthday year, Fireflies forms part of our No Boundaries season, illustrating our role in presenting imaginative theatre. All three productions will be truly memorable, providing the audience with an experience they can’t stop talking about.”
Posted on Thursday, 01 October 2009 under Press Theatre Press