Jonathan Harvey’s acclaimed 90s play, Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club, is set to captivate audiences with its raw and poignant portrayal of complex brotherly bonds.
This production sees the play relocated to modern-day Manchester and retitled Canal Street Lonely Hearts Club delves into themes of love, identity, and reconciliation.
Dean is in love with Marti, who is in love with Shaun, who is in love with Juliet, who has left the country. Meanwhile, George is in love with Malcolm, her ex, and Clarine is just… well, nobody quite knows. Welcome to Canal Street Lonely Hearts Club!
Canal Street Lonely Hearts Club is filled with colourful characters, acerbic one-liners, a fantastic soundtrack, but most importantly, heart. This comedy-drama reveals the difficulties we all face when trying to find love in all it’s guises – and that’s as true now as it was in the 90s.
The director, Stewart Campbell, on the production: “Jonathan’s writing, whether it be through Beautiful Thing or his episodes of Coronation Street, has always spoken to me. And as I cut my teeth as a writer and director here in Manchester, I’ve always wanted to tackle one of his plays. So, I was over the moon when over a phone call before Christmas, he not only agreed to let me do it, but was also open to us updating the play and relocating to the most famous queer street in Britain, Canal Street.
“Having read the play again last summer I just felt that its core themes and story were as relevant now as they were in 1995 when the original play was written. Coming out to your family is hard, and if they, the ones who are meant to love you unconditionally, reject you (or as in Marti’s case, beat you up) how do you get over it? And more importantly, how do you get over it enough to go on and find real love?”
The writer, Jonathan Harvey, on the new updated production: “30 years ago we premiered Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club at the Contact in Manchester. It went on to play at the Donmar in London before transferring to the West End. It won Best New Play at the Manchester Evening News Awards.
“I was quite taken aback when Qweerdog asked if I’d be interested in updating it and resetting it in Manchester.. but I guess human beings haven’t changed that much in 30 years, even if technology has. I’m excited to bring the play back to Manchester, where it all began, and to see what audiences make of this family of misfits all living in the same building in the reimagined Canal Street Lonely Hearts Club.”
