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“Nobody dies in football
matches in fires. It doesn’t happen.”
The 56
Newcastle Live Theatre
Tuesday
6th – Wednesday 7th September 2016
With
the new football season well under way Live Theatre will be kicking off
September by presenting Lung Theatre’s award-winning play The 56 - a look at one of the darkest days in football history on
Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th September.
At
3.40pm on 11 May 1985 Bradford City Football Club were supposed to be
celebrating receiving the Division Three championship trophy – their first
trophy in 56 years – in front of 11,000 jubilant fans before the start of their
match against Lincoln City.
 |
|
Photo: Joe Priestley
|
Instead
it turned into a day of appalling tragedy. A small fire broke out in the main
stand at Valley Parade stadium. Within
four minutes, the wooden structure was ablaze. Using over sixty real-life
testimonies this bold and pertinent piece of documentary theatre pays homage to
the 56 supporters who lost their lives and more than 250 who were injured and
examines the solidarity, strength and community in the face of overwhelming tragedy.
 |
| Photo: Joe Priestley |
Gez
Casey, literary manager at Live Theatre said:
“This incredible play was a huge hit when it premiered at Edinburgh
Festival Fringe in 2014 where it played to sell-out audiences before returning
in 2015, the 30th anniversary of the disaster. With a strong tradition of presenting work
featuring real-life testimonies and a region steeped in football tradition we
are delighted to be able to give audiences at Live Theatre the chance to see
this captivating production. The 56
is a show for football fans everywhere.”
Matt Woodhead,
director of The 56 and LUNG Theatre
added: “Our hope with The 56 was to preserve the memories of survivors and
witnesses of the Bradford City Stadium disaster and introduce new and particularly
younger audiences to this cornerstone in northern history. Using the words of real people our aim was to
create a piece that was dramatic in nature whilst preserving the integrity of
people’s testimonies.
 |
| Photo: Joe Priestley |
“One of the recurring themes that came up
during the many interviews carried out was how,
in times of adversity, the Football Club and local community came
together. The 56 looks at the aftermath
of the fire and how, over 30 years later, this community is still
thriving.”
In 2009
Live Theatre presented You Couldn’t Make
It Up and You Really Couldn’t Make It
Up which saw father and son writing team Michael and Tom Chaplin use a
mixture of testimony material and speculative imagining to shed light on life
at St James Park during its tumultuous 2008/9 season before the club was last
relegated to the Championship.
All
profits of The 56 will be donated to
the University of Bradford Burns and Plastic
Surgery Unit.
Tickets:
DATES: Tues 6 & Wed 7 Sept, 7.30pm
LOCATION: Main Theatre
DURATION: 1hr 15mins
SUITABILITY: 13+
TICKETS: £14-£10, over 60s concs £12, other concs £6
For
more information about what’s coming up at Live Theatre and to book tickets
contact the box office on (0191) 232 1232
or visit www.live.org.uk
Wednesday
7 September, 9pm
The 56 – Meet the Cast and
Creative Team
Join actors Tom Lodge,
Danielle Phillips and Will Taylor and co-writer and director Matt Woodhead as
they discuss the making of the play.
DATE: Wed 7 Sept, 9pm
LOCATION: Main Theatre
DURATION: Approx. 40mins
SUITABILITY: 13+
TICKETS: Free, booking essential
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