Star date: 6th April 2014

SALFORD RIOTS OF 2011 HIT THE STAGE 

The Queen Is Dead
Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd April
Lowry Studio £6/£10

The Salford riots of August 2011 form the backdrop of a new play starring professional actors and young people from the city to be staged at The Lowry over Easter.

The Queen Is Dead takes inspiration from those who were there, and its director Alan Pattison slags David Cameron's hypocritical response at the time, talking of the Tories' "insidious ideology" and how the Prime Minister "stands by indignant and amazed when the results of that experiment pour out onto the streets of Britain".

Full details here…

In August 2011, the Salford Star took major stick for daring to report on the night that the Salford riots happened that they were in some sense political (see A Very Salford Riot – click here). Since then, various academic and government reports have come to the same conclusion.

As a new play The Queen Is Dead comes to The Lowry Studio this Easter, based on research and interviews with those who were `involved and affected', as well as the police and media reports, its director, Alan Pattison, doesn't hold back his views…

Remembering David Cameron's comments that "There are pockets of our society that are not just broken but frankly sick" and Labour Party Minister Peter Mandelson's assertion that "We are intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich", Pattison explains some reasoning behind the play which is well worth quoting at length…

"The question of why the riots of 2011 happened on such a colossal scale is still being pondered even as the state prepares its rubber bullets and water cannon for what may be yet to come" he says "The impotent reaction of David Cameron was not designed to seek answers, merely provide a rapid response to shocking events. His words reek of hypocrisy. Whilst he may not have been present at the onset of the great Tory experiment with monetarism, laissez-faire economics and 'light-touch' financial regulation, he is the inheritor of that insidious ideology. Yet he stands by indignant and amazed when the results of that experiment pour out onto the streets of Britain.

"The title, 'The Queen is Dead', is not a statement. It is not designed to provoke a cheap frisson of outrage" he adds "The title is a concept that asks this question: What happens to our society when the great and sacred institutions that bind us together as one nation are systematically dismantled by the voracious appetites of free market capitalism? What happens to the citizen who is relentlessly urged and encouraged to become merely a consumer and then cannot fulfil that craving? The irresponsible advocacy of Lord Mandelson can only lead to resentment and anarchy. Acquisitiveness and responsibility rarely go together.

"…society can only thrive when we bring fairness and hope to all of its people" he concludes "Until those iniquities and divisions are addressed, then the scenes of 2011 will reoccur as a stark symbol of the power of the unfettered greed we have unleashed and the successive failure of our leaders to act with vision and courage."

While those comments could start a week long debate by themselves, they provide the fuel and thrust for what should be an interesting theatrical experience, hopefully not too dampened by the authorities which have supported and been involved with the project – the High Sheriff Fund, Arts Council England, housing associations and Greater Manchester Police.

"This play is the culmination of 15 months of work, from initial meetings with Salford residents, housing associations and Greater Manchester Police, through countless interviews and questionnaires, to the eventual script and performance" says Jo Fisher, Managing Director of Footlights which has produced the play "Every aspect of the community has been included to show how a very Salford riot impacted on its victims and perpetrators."

Indeed, the script by Sarah McDonald Hughes includes verbatim accounts of the events portrayed by young Salford people and professional actors. At the heart of the play is Zac Challinor, who was involved in the torching of the BBC car and got the lengthiest sentence of any of those caught up in the riots (see Salford Star article on his court case – click here). The press release from Footlights states his "character is controversial yet inspiring, and his involvement in the project, from interview stage to attending rehearsals, has given him 'fresh hope' for his future".

The Queen Is Dead
Monday 21st 7:30pm and Tuesday 22nd April 2:30pm and 7:30pm
Lowry Studio £6/£10

The matinee performance on 22 April includes a post-show discussion, aimed at schools and colleges but available to all ticket-holders. To book, call The Lowry on 0843 208 6000 or visit the website www.thelowry.com

The professional cast includes Kerry Bennett, Anthony Clark, Keeley Fitzgerald, Trevor Hancock and Conor Hanifin.