Our Day Out, from Scouse to Geordie
Willy Russell’s tragi-comedy Our Day Out opens this evening at Newcastle’s People’s Theatre, with the action moved from Liverpool to the North East.
Our Day Out opens The People’s Theatre’s autumn season, which also includes Alan Bennett’s The History Boys.
The play, originally written for the BBC’s Play of the Week in 1977 and adapted for the stage in 1983, follows the Progress Class from a local comprehensive school when they are taken on a school trip by their kindly teacher Mrs Kay and strict Deputy Head.
Russell, also known for Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, based the play on his own experiences as a child and teacher in Liverpool.
The action has been moved to 1980s North East for its Newcastle premiere, with the rowdy class visiting a variety of familiar local landmarks, set to a soundtrack of early eighties music.
Our Day Out is being performed by The Young People’s Theatre, the group of which Ross Noble was once a member, which stage 3-4 productions per year.
Talking about the play, a spokesperson for the People’s Theatre said: “The energetic exuberance and humour of teenage life is undercut by the stark reality that many of the underprivileged youngsters will return home to when their trip is over.
“Such issues are as relevant today as they ever were, and worth exploring by our young cast as to how challenges in life can be addressed and overcome.”
Our Day Out runs at The People’s Theatre, Heaton, from 17-21 September 2013. Tickets are available on the door, from the theatre’s website, or by calling 0191 265 5020.
