Porridge
Doing time at The Lowry over Christmas…
Calibre Productions present…
Porridge
By arrangement with Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais
The Lowry, Tue 22 December 2009 – Sat 16 January 2010
Press night: Tue 22 December, 8pm
Written especially for stage by the original creators, Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais, one of Britain’s best-loved comedies, Porridge, will begin it’s 4 week stretch at The Lowry from Tue 22 December.
Following two previous Christmas seasons at The Lowry with stage adaptations of Dad’s Army and ‘Allo ‘Allo, Calibre Productions return with this comedy classic. Producer Ed O’Driscoll says, “Working with Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais is both exciting and a privilege. I’m delighted they have agreed to be so involved with our production and must say that their enthusiasm is contagious. It obviously reflects their tremendous love for the series”.
Originally aired on BBC1 between 1974 and 1977, the character of jailbird Norman Stanley Fletcher was originally conceived for a one-off comedy, ‘Prisoners & Escort’. The show was initially to be named ‘Bird or Stir’ before the team settled on the euphemism for life behind bars, ‘Porridge’. Two series, two Christmas specials and a feature film proved the show’s success as it became the regular diet both inside and outside Britain’s jails; prisoners claiming it to be the most accurate portrayal of real prison life on TV.
This show promises to rekindle the fond memories held by so many of HMP Slade and its notorious inmates, allowing audiences once more to hear the cherished catchphrase ‘Naff off’ in this unarguable all-time classic.
Coinciding with British porridge season, The Christmas stint of Porridge at The Lowry has been proudly sponsored by Mornflake, the UK’s oldest cereal experts who have been milling oats in Crewe, Cheshire since 1675. Mornflake oat cereals are made from the finest quality oats, milled in a special way that has been perfected by 14 generations of the Lea family. Mornflake and The Lowry collaboratively made it into The Guinness World Record books in September when they made the world’s biggest bowl of porridge. Breaking the existing world record of 81.2kg, Chef Colin Rostron served 171.9kg of porridge, made from Mornflake Superfast Oats, to hundreds of people in the theatre.
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, 27 October 2009 under Press Theatre Press