Walter Greenwood's Love On The Dole is the classic Salford novel of unemployment, poverty, love, lust and class war. Set in Hanky Park in the 1930s, the book sold zillions and the film, starring Deborah Kerr, was originally banned as `dangerous' by the British Board of Film Censors. Ask the Salford Community Theatre Project why they now want to stage a community version of Love On The Dole and, for them, it's obvious...
"Sarah, who wrote the script, read the book and she was like `This is the most amazing story and it's set in Salford and it's just still so relevant'" says the Project's Cat Stobbs "It's about unemployment and inequality, and the strain that puts on families and relationships. It's set in the 1930s but anyone who has ever been unemployed or dissatisfied will relate to it immediately; it's so well written and so human."
In the Greenwood novel, the `means test' looms large, and, in the present, that could be substituted for Bedroom Tax, benefit sanctions, cuts in Council Tax support...the list goes on...
"It's a really honest story, you just see the human side of it so much and the relationship is not just between certain couples but between every single member of the community" explains the Project's Rose Fowler "It's focussed on the fact that this is a community struggling rather than one person."
Many of those involved in organising Salford Community Theatre Project's version of the novel have backgrounds in the Chester Mystery Plays, where hundreds of people from the community get involved in productions. Now they are opening the door for anyone in Salford to get involved in Love On The Dole...
"If people have a theatre background, brilliant, if they've never acted before, brilliant" says Cat "We're not even just after actors. If anyone's thought `I always wanted to maybe do a bit of work on costumes or props or lighting, sound' ...anything, come along and we will find something. There's no age limit. The youngest part for speaking lines is 16 but if there's a parent who wants to be in it with their kids we can always incorporate them into it, and there's no upper age limit."
Workshops take place at the Working Class Movement Library (51 The Crescent M5 4WX) on Saturday 4th July 11am-2pm; Saturday 11th July 11am-2pm and Saturday 18th July 11am-2pm covering Voice, Movement and Working from Text.
"Just come along and see what it's about" says Cat "No-one will be turned away..."
Anyone who wishes to get involved on any level can contact Cat cat.stobbs@salfordcommunitytheatre.org
or Rose rose.fowler@salforcommunitytheatre.org
For further details on Salford Community Theatre Project – click here
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