Play’s road safety message packs a real Punch for Cheshire audiences

Feb 18 2011 Chester Chronicle

CHESHIRE Safer Roads Partnership has funded a powerful play about the effects of drink driving on a family following the tragic death of a family member.

To reinforce the drink driving message highlighted throughout West Cheshire over the Christmas period, Ape Theatre Company have now performed the play, entitled Too Much Punch for Judy, to 15 to 18 year-olds in schools and colleges across the borough.

The theatrical performance forms part of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Road Safety Unit’s education programme.

The play, in documentary style, follows the events after a woman dies in a car driven by her sister who was twice over the legal limit to drive.

The play is based on a true incident which happened in 1983 and uses the words of those involved or closely affected.

It concentrates on the actual crash and immediate aftermath, mainly through the eyes of the first witness at the scene.

The audience watches as a police officer, who was a friend of the family, breaks the news of Joanna’s death to her mother and sister Judy in turn.

After each performance a discussion-based workshop, which forces the audience to consider drink-driving within their peer group, took place.

Councillor Lynn Riley, Executive Member for Community and Environment, said: “This sort of approach is all about getting people to think before they drive.

“Drinking and driving don't mix. The legal limit in the UK is 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood - however, any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive safely.

“With effects of alcohol including increased stopping distance, poorer judgement of speed and distance and reduced field of vision, the effects of getting behind the wheel of a car after consuming alcohol can be disastrous.

“The touring theatre production has been very successful and the messages well received by the audience which included newly qualified drivers and their passengers.”

Drinking and driving occurs across a wide range of age groups, with a high rate among young men aged 17-29 in both casualties and positive breath tests following a collision.