CRUEL SEA
Liverpool
Everyman Theatre
July 5 – August 4
Author:
John Fay
Director: Rebecca Ross-Williams
Producer: Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Cast Includes: Colin Connor, Nick Chee Ping Kellington, Ricky
Fearon, Kieran Lynn, Keddy Sutton, Zain Salim
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Cruel Sea
Cruel Sea is an energetic, heartfelt, moving and humorous voyage through
the memories of Merchant Seamen at sea during the dark days of the
Second World War. But it is much more than this. Spliced with the
real-life accounts of veteran seaman shown on two giant screens this
dramatic and musical piece of work manages to capture the indomitable
spirit and comradeship of these unsung heroes of the conflict. At
times the audience laughed out loud, at others was moved to tears
by the exploits of these men. Nostalgic as the piece is it never
descends into sentimental. Even less celebrated than the deeds of
the white seaman were those of the black and Chinese sailors aboard
British merchant ships and the prejudice and injustice shown to these
men is embodied here in the characters of Sam and Song, played by
Zain Salim and the brilliant Nick Chee Ping Kelington.
Devised originally as a three year national reminiscence project by Age Exchange the memories and recorded documents of these indomitable men has been crafted into a marvellous work of theatre by talented Liverpool writer, John Fay.
The play follows the story of Dicky (Kieran Lynn) and Sam, two young Scousers who, following in the footsteps of their fathers, sat sail for the first time on the treacherous cargo run between Liverpool and the New York, a run menaced Nazi U-boats, then at the peak of their nefarious sinking of British merchant shipping.
The cast is superb
throughout, the set and lighting, sparse and inventive.
A must see.
Chris High
Tour Dates:
Everyman Theatre, Hope Street, Liverpool
Tuesday 5 - Saturday 7 July 7:45pm
Matinee: Friday 6 July 1:30pm
Rock Ferry High School
Monday 9 July 6:30pm
Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man
Thursday 12 July 7:30pm
Kirkby Unemployment Centre
Saturday 14 July 7:30pm
Halewood College, Halewood, Knowsley
Tuesday 17 July 7.00pm
St. John’s Community
Centre, Holly Road, Liverpool
Friday 20 - Saturday 21 July 7.30pm
West Everton Community Centre, Everton Brow, Liverpool
Tuesday 24 - Wednesday 25 July 7.30pm
Cardinal Heenan, Honeysgreen Lane, Liverpool
Thursday 26 - Friday 27 July 7.30pm
St. Columbus Community Centre, Pinehurst Road, Liverpool
Saturday 28 July 4:30pm & 7:30pm
Merseyside Caribbean Centre
Monday 30 July 7:30pm
Kensington Fields Community Centre, Hall Lane, Kensington
Tuesday 31 July 7:30pm
Wednesday 1 August 2:30pm & 7:30pm
Marybone Youth and Community Centre, Fontenoy Street, Liverpool
Thursday 2 August 7:30pm
Eldonian Village Hall, Vauxhall
Friday 3 August 8:00pm
Unity Youth & Community
Centre, Dove Street, Liverpool
Saturday 4 August 7:30pm
Tour tickets available from Box Office on 0151 709 4776
(excluding Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man)
If so - please feel free to leave your FEEDBACK
break the rules as I see fit.” - Chris High 2003.