Tommy Boy
by
Ted Willis
Directed by Helen Bingle and Ian Cole
12th - 19th March 2016
Tommy Boy tells the story of a small group of people whose lives are
dramatically changed by the first World War. In particular, it
follows the fortunes of Tommy Barnes and his girlfriend, Rosie Carr, the
barmaid at a local Salford pub. In the summer of 1914 their lives and
the lives of their friends, are full of hope and promise. But
when the war comes they are caught up in a chain of events which
blights that promise and changes the world around them.
The play is set in the Salford pub and in a dug-out just behind the
front line in France. Despite the inevitable tragic undertones, Ted Willis captures
the magic humour in adversity and he
includes many of the old war-time songs which so vividly reflect
those traumatic days.
The play was first staged as part of the 1988 Malvern Literary
Festival to coincide with 70 years after the end of WW1, and then
toured professionally to eight regional theatres. This is the first
time it has been performed in the amateur theatre.
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