![]() ![]() Set in an air raid shelter in the centre of Salford during the months leading up to the devastating Salford Blitz, the play focuses on the how the everyday people of Salford rose to the challenge of the second world war with the unbroken, proud spiritedness, vigour and courage they’re famous for. With many laughs along the way, the play highlighted how, even in the indifferent and callous face of adversity, the hardworking folk could muster a few laughs and knew how to have a good time. With funding from the Heritage Lottery Young Roots Project and Salix Homes, O’Byrne, his co-director Jacqui Carroll of REEL Manchester, and the remarkable cast, really brought this fascinating and charming story to life.Ī true credit to Lower Kersal’s Young people’s Group, this play really captured the community spirit in Salford at the time of the 1940 Christmas bombings which left over 600 people dead in one evening, including 16 nurses at Salford Royal Hospital. The play, written and directed by Salford’s very own professional scriptwriter Joe O’Byrne, came to The Lowry on the last night of its run after three nights at Salford Arts Theatre. ![]() On a wretched rainy Sunday evening, the ambiance was very family oriented and friendly at The Lowry’s Quays Theatre which was full to the brim, which is no surprise considering the success of this show when it came to The Lowry in August 2012. Below are a few images from the show and behind the scenes, and a review from SALFORD ONLINE's Teresa McMahon. Well their reward for all their hard work? The play will return every year - and boy do they deserve it, if you missed it this year be sure to catch it next year. If you are looking for a shining example of what community is all about then visit them, they are amazing. ![]() A special mention toTommy Lever who runs this group through Saint Aiden's Church with the help of many of the adults and parents that complete the cast. Ian Curley's set looked magnificent after a year in storage. The play returned and has just completed a three night run at Salford Arts Theatre and finished it's return last night at a packed Lowry Quays Theatre. Now we had to set about the business of getting a group of 20 of them who had never acted on stage before, ready for a performance at The Lowry Quays Theatre. When we had people laughing and crying at the read throgh I knew we had something that could really move people. I was more than touched by it all and made welcome from my first day.Īfter doing some research on war time Salford and working on a few improvisations with them (and they had many great ideas of their own) I wrote the play over a period of six days, one of the fastest pieces of writing I had ever done. But what I felt from day one with this group was an amazing togetherness, a kinship, it was like one huge family of 25 to 30 people, and they have supported each other through some real personal tragedy's and times of hardship. They all live in Lower Kersal, a community like many that has it's problems, I live in a community just like it in Bolton. I was immedaitely struck by the 'family feel' of this group, right across that age group from 9 to 84. I first met the LOWER KERSAL YOUNG PEOPLE'S GROUP in 2012 when I was approached by Jacqui Carroll of Reel Manchester to write a script about the Salford Blitz of WW2.
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