Liverpool Playwright, Screenwriter, Actor and Teacher Luke Barnes new play, Who’s Afraid of the Working Class will be premiered at Unity Theatre on 3rd – 5th March 2016. It will be performed by third year students from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and directed by Will Hammond, current Head of Acting.

The play’s intention is to make a history of the British Working Class, being set across eight decades, each scene being from a different decade in the protagonist, John’s life, from the 1940s to the 2000s. Each scene will use cultural and historical references to shape the narrative.

Luke Barnes said, “I want to make a play that explores what it has meant to be poor and be in pursuit of happiness in the U.K. since World War Two and reimagine the working class in our conscious from “chavs”, “scroungers” and “people living it up on the tax payers money” to people doing their best in tough circumstances and trying to enjoy themselves whilst doing it. I want to move their position in the national conscious from cause of their situation to the victim of the situation imposed of them without pointing fingers at particular political parties.

I also want to reinvent the perception of the communities as a whole away from the wallowing depressed groups of people in Boys From The Black Stuff, Harvest and Kes to a group of people that fight their circumstances with humour, kindness and compassion.

I want to make a play that feels like a 60 year long Cathy Come Home with people fighting their horrific circumstances with kindness, love and humour like in Searching For Eric and Shamless rather than the rallying call of Pride or the depressing nature of Kes.”

Tickets can be booked via Unity Theatre’s Box Office in over the phone on 0151 709 4988 or online viawww.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk. Tickets are priced at £10 with concessions available at £8.