Set in Manchester in the mid-1970s, the play broke exciting new ground and is considered by many to have signalled a revolution in stand-up. It asks the question: is comedy just about the laughs? A group of ordinary men gather in a school for a night course in stand-up comedy. It’s run by ‘The Lancashire Lad’ Eddie Waters: once known as the hardest-hitting comedian on the circuit. He is determined to promote comedy as an art form and believes that comedians deliver more than just gags. On the night of his apprentices’ big performance, an agent arrives from London to open the door to fame and fortune for the lucky few. But at what price?
The role of Eddie Waters will be played by Burnley born and bred Richard Moore [above], who is celebrating his fiftieth year in the entertainment industry. He is best known for playing the popular Jarvis Skelton in Emmerdale and Curly in the hit drama Band of Gold. He said:
“The North West, and Bolton in particular, is rightly viewed as a spiritual home of comedy. It’s not a coincidence that while Comedians is on at the Octagon, Peter Kay is playing some o the biggest comedy gigs in stand-up history just up the road in Manchester. He’s very much a comedian in the mould of my character, Eddie Waters – a man of the people, in love with the craft of making people laugh.
“But the play is not just a comedy; it looks at what is an acceptable source for jokes. Has the time of the mother-in-law joke or the Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman joke passed? What is it okay to laugh at? In light of the national debate around Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, this is clearly an issue that will run and run!”
He is joined by Huw Higginson and Mark Letheren who are also appearing in the Octagon’s production of And Did Those Feet, and Kieran Hill and Russell Richardson who recently appeared at the Theatre in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The cast also includes Colin Connor, Howard Crossley, Brendan Foster, Simon Nagra, John Bramwell and Sevan Stephan.
Comedians will play from Thursday 15 April – Saturday 8 May 2010. Tickets are from £9 on 01204 520661, or at http://www.octagonbolton.co.uk/
