'It doesn't just break the fourth wall, it ram-raids it'
Earlier in the year we previewed Joe O'Byrne's new play I'm Frank Morgan: Rewired. With Joe winning the Salford Star Award for Best Play we were eager to check out his new venture and were a little surprised and intrigued when he uttered the phrase 'It's a one-man-show'...
Clearly, this was going to be something of an undertaking, with Joe putting his reputation on the line as both an actor and a writer. The one-man-show is a much maligned format that, pitched wrong, can be awkward and shambolic. Thankfully, Joe pulled it off, and the show now returns with added menace and swagger to the Kings Arms on 25th and 26th May.
"I couldn't have asked for a better reaction to the new show" he says "This is a world away from the previous Frank; it's an eerie, visceral and at times yes funny experience for audiences."
It's a show that doesn't just break the fourth wall, it ram-raids it. In this urban, gothic twisted fairy tale, we get to meet Paradise Heights' resident hard-case up close and personal..."It's a unique experience, my most intense experience as an actor thus far" Joe explains.
I'm Frank Morgan: Rewired is a piece that sees Joe immersed in the role, but able to riff and ad-lib whilst in character. Performances have seen him smashing up the set and even replying, as Frank, to boozy audience members.
... "Ah, the drunk!" Joe recalls "The drunk got a little out of hand very early on, shouting something at me - the last thing you need as an actor and the audience don't need that either. I thought he'd get worse as the show went on, so, without hesitation Frank took over...
"I dealt with him as the character would have dealt with a drunk in his own club" he adds "Not physically, but there were a few choice words from Frank in a very take no prisoners style. It was an electric moment all its own. He left! It's the first time I've threatened a member of my audience, but it seemed to do the job."
The spontaneity of the show adds to the intensity, with many believing that the spiky exchange was scripted and part of the edgy performance.
On the back of the success of I'm Frank Morgan: Rewired, Joe will be doing a full season of the shows that make up his Paradise Heights series at various venues...
You'll get to see all the films and plays, see how they are separate but equally how they are inextricably linked together" he says "I'm really excited about that, the new plays coming and the first animated short film tale from Paradise Heights. And, whisper it...there's a musical album on the way..."
It's a good time to get involved in the dark and gritty world of Paradise Heights. I'm Frank Morgan: Rewired returns to the Kings Arms on Bank Holiday weekend. Get along and see him in action. And try not antagonise him!
Frank Morgan: Rewired
Friday 25th and Saturday 26th May
Kings Arms £10
For further details and ticket information see www.kingsarmssalford.com
For more details on Paradise Heights see the website - click here
Words by Ian Leslie
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
