In town every Friday night, same time and place, Potts, Baron and Finch get ready for their weekly dose of Maccie Ds, drinking and dancing, but their night out takes a terrifying twist when an explosion rocks the town centre, and a suspicious population points the finger. The lads think they might have spotted the bomber, but are they using the mysterious man in black as a scapegoat to hide their own crimes?
Ali Taylor’s poetic, high-energy play, Overspill, was one of the winners of Metamorphosis 08, the playwriting competition organised by the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, and the Ambassador Theatre Group. This will be the first time the play has been seen in the North West. Off the Ground Theatre is dedicated to promoting young talent and this production features three 18 year olds recently graduated from Off the Ground Youth Theatre. Ralph Griffiths, Ben Bridson and Tom Martin are all from the Wirral and have, between them, appeared in over 20 productions including National Youth Theatre shows and O.T.G.’s professional tours.
They are being directed by Dan Meigh who as Youth Theatre Director for the Everyman and Playhouse staged Julius Caesar, Monkey and Love of the Nightingale at the Everyman and who has directed most of O.T.G.’s recent international tours, including Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and As You Like It.
Several ex-youth theatre members have also come to say hello and lend a hand during rehearsals including Bryony Thomas, a physical theatre expert who trained at L’Ecole de Jacques LeCoq in Paris, and Tom Rodgers, Britain’s youngest stuntman, who came straight off the set of the latest blockbuster, Jack and the Giant Slayer, to work on some of the intricate fight scenes.
Dan Meigh said, ““It is always great to welcome back ex-students as they’re an inspiration for our young cast. They can see that with continued hard work, the rewards can be just around the corner. And our three actors in this show have such incredible talent; it is a genuine honour to work with them. This is a physically demanding play, at moments funny, then frightening, then moving and they make it look so easy. This could easily be one of those productions where you say, “Oh, I saw them first, before they were famous, in Overspill at the Unity.”
Tickets for Overspill are available from the Unity Theatre’s Box office on Hope Place, by telephone on 0844 8732888 or online at www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk. Tickets are priced at £10 with concessions available at £8. Performance days are Friday 12th and Saturday 13th April.