Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
Stephen Daldry
Co-production with Out of Joint
Dates Performed
Tuesday 7th June 1994
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs
Play Details
Synopsis
A gritty council estate in northern England, where dreams and despair collide on one long, turbulent night.
Scullery, a charismatic but troubled local, guides us through the lives of the Road’s residents as they grapple with poverty, unemployment, and the search for meaning. We encounter a diverse cast of characters, including young lovers Joey and Clare embarking on a hunger strike, the nostalgic Professor documenting the area’s decline, and Carol and Louise, two young women looking for excitement with a pair of local lads.
Jim Cartwright’s “Road” is a raw, poetic exploration of life on the margins of Thatcher’s Britain. Through a series of vignettes that blend naturalistic dialogue with moments of surreal lyricism, the play captures the resilience, humor, and desperation of a community struggling to find hope in the face of economic devastation. The use of direct address and a fluid, dreamlike structure blurs the lines between performance and reality, inviting the audience to become part of the Road’s vibrant, troubled world.
Cast & Creative
Cast
Pam Ferris
Cast
Pearce Quigley
Cast
Doon Mackichan
Cast
Gillian Hanna
Cast
Paul J Medford
Cast
Amelia Bullmore
Cast
David Howey
Cast
Toby Salaman
Designer
Fotini Dimou
Lighting
Johanna Town
Costume
Iona Kenrick
Sound
John A Leonard
Sound
Simon Baker
Deputy Stage Manager
Sally Cook
Voice and dialect coach