The drama and comedy of a night in the pub...
Last updated 05:41, Friday, 03 October 2008
A pint, a packet of crisps, and a John Godber comedy with dark undertones, please.
There’s more on offer than usual at the King’s Head in Carlisle next week.
While the debate about a theatre for the city rages on, Happy Hour Theatre Company is turning a pub garden into a performance venue.
Godber’s Weekend Breaks will be performed at the Fisher Street pub as the latest instalment in Happy Hour’s mission to bring culture to the masses. The company was formed by experienced amateur actors Jenny Pike, Rob Graham and Bob McLure, along with former professional actress Allison Rowe. It aims to perform in relaxed settings such as pubs and village halls as well as conventional theatres.
Happy Hour’s debut came at the Bowness-on-Solway literary festival in June. They performed at the Kings Head in July and August.
Bob McLure describes Weekend Breaks as “comedy with a dark side”. It features Bob, Rob Graham and Jenny Pike, with Allison Rowe directing.
The play centres on teacher Martin Dawson (separated from his wife and children after an affair) and his ageing parents, who Martin invites for a weekend in the Lake District. The trip evolves into an opportunity for the release of a lifetime’s pent-up frustrations.
Jenny, Rob and Bob are all members of Carlisle’s Green Room Theatre Club. “We still enjoy working at the Green Room but Happy Hour is a chance to play to a different audience; probably a younger audience who wouldn’t normally see drama,” says Bob.
See Weekend Breaks from Monday to Wednesday, from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5, including a drink, are available from the pub.
The play is performed at Lockerbie Little Theatre on Thursday at 7.30pm (call 01576 202224 for tickets) and the Buccleuch Centre, Langholm, on Friday, October 17. Call 013873 81196.
