Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre is to stage the world premiere of award-winning playwright, Rona Munro’s new play Scuttles about Manchester’s original gangs.
Set in 1885, the play uncovers a world where the streets of Manchester are crackling with energy, youth and violence. As workers pour into Ancoats to power the Industrial Revolution, 50,000 people are crammed into one square mile.
The mills rumble thunderously day and night. The air is thick with smoke. Life is lived large and lived on the street. This is the world’s very first industrial suburb and the young mill workers who are the living cogs in its machines form the very first urban gangs, fighting over their territory with belts, fists and knives.
Invisible in history their lives, deaths, loves, lusts and defiant energy tell stories that will repeat and repeat over the decades that follow.
Inspired by the Manchester riots of 2011 and the stories of all the Manchester gangs between the nineteenth century and today, the play smashes the nineteenth century against a twenty first century sensibility to bring the young Scuttlers back to vivid, potent life.
Rona Munro has written extensively for stage, radio, film and television including the trilogy The James Plays for the National Theatre of Scotland, The National Theatre and the Edinburgh International Festival which recently won an Evening Standard Best Play Award.
Award-winning director and site-specific theatre maker Wils Wilson directs the production and the cast includes Catriona Ennis, Chloe Harris, David Judge, Anna Krippa, Rona Morison, Tachia Newall, Dan Parr, Bryan Parry and Kieran Urquhart.
The production will also feature a 32-strong community ensemble who will play boys, girls and adults from rival gangs of mill workers.
SCUTTLERS
By Rona Munro
Directed by Wils Wilson
Designed by Fly Davis
The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Thursday 5 February – Saturday 7 March 2015
Evening Performance Times:
Monday – Friday, 7.30pm; Saturday, 8pm
Matinee Performance Times:
Wednesdays, 2.30pm; Saturday 3.30pm
Extra matinee: Tuesdays 17 February, 2.30pm
Half Price Previews: Thursday 5 and Friday 6 February
Press Night: Tuesday 10 February, 7.30pm
Ticket Prices: Standard tickets from £15 (Concessions Available)
Audio-described Performance: Saturday 28 February, 3.30pm
BSL Interpreted Performance: Tuesday 3 March, 7.30pm
Captioned Performance: Tuesday 24 February, 7.30pm
After-show Discussion Thursday 26 February (after 7.30pm performance)
Box Office: 0161 833 9833.
On-line: www.royalexchange.co.uk/bookonline www.royalexchange.co.uk
