New play firmly rooted in the North West
North west towns provide characters’ names in world premiere
World Première of Fireflies, A love story waiting to happen
Written by Kevin Fegan & directed by Noreen Kershaw
Starring Naomi Radcliffe & Paul Simpson
The Lowry, Fri 16 - Sat 31 October 2009
Press Night: Tue 20 October, 8pm
Northwest towns from Darwen, Blackburn and Pendle to Horwich, Ribble and Rivington provide the names for almost all the characters’ in Fireflies, an enthralling new play, produced by and premiering at The Lowry this month
The two leading characters, Leigh and Nelson, are played by Naomi Radcliffe (well-known for her roles in Coronation Street, Born and Bred and The Visit) and Paul Simpson (well known for his roles in many TV programmes including Coronation Street, Heartbeat and The Street). Fireflies is firmly rooted in the region, with both actors as well as director, Noreen Kershaw and writer Kevin Fegan all based in the North West.
In addition to the role of Leigh, Naomi Radcliffe plays all the other female characters including that of Lorraine Blackburn (her mother) Rivington (her girlfriend), Astley (Nelson’s ex) and Pendle (Nelson’s daughter). Paul Simpson plays male characters including Broughton (his neighbour), Darwen (Leigh’s ex), Ryan (Leighs’ son) and Little Hulton (Ryan’s spirit guide).
Set on a fictional estate somewhere between Salford and Bolton some of the characters have evolved into fiction from people that Kevin Fegan, the writer, has known in this part of the world. Kevin attended Manchester University and has lived in various places including Levenshulme, Gorton, Rushholme, Old Trafford, Ashton and Whitefield. Kevin explains, “I decided to root the play in the North West by deliberately naming characters after place names in Salford, Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Our surnames and first names are often taken from our towns. So it came as no surprise to me that a ‘Radcliffe’ was cast in this play as Leigh Tyldesley.”
Described by Plays International as Britain’s most innovative Playwright, Kevin has written over 40 plays for the stage, 7 plays for BBC Radio 4 plus a Woman’s Hour Serial and a Classic Serial, a few short films plus a spell as a Storyline Writer for Coronation St and 8 volumes of poetry.
Kevin continues, “I love that moment, the first meeting when you have a read through of the script. You’ve heard the character’s voices in your head for so long but it’s all in your imagination until they are brought to life by the actors. It’s very exciting to hear the voices outside of your head and see how the actors make the play their own and bring it to life.”
Fireflies tell 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.
The Lowry Centre Trust is a not-for-profit charitable organisation and registered charity (no. 1053962). All income supports our world-class Theatres and Galleries programme, the care and display of the LS Lowry Collection and our life-changing Community and Education work.
Posted on Tuesday, 13 October 2009 under Press Theatre Press