Liverpool-based PurpleCoat comes to Chester Little Theatre this Christmas with a revival of ‘Willy Russell’s most laugh-out-loud comedy.’
Breezeblock Park may not be a play you are familiar with from Russell’s repertoire, but it boasts an impressive credential: it’s the play that inspired the landmark BBC sitcom The Royle Family.
Set on a council estate in 1970s Liverpool, Breezeblock Park tells the story of house-proud Betty and her struggles to keep her family on the rails during the annual Christmas festivities.
When her daughter Sandra announces that she is pregnant, hilarity and chaos ensue in equal measure.
Show director Karl Falconer said: ‘It really is a laugh a minute.
“When we last staged this production in 2013, some nights the show went on for 20 minutes longer because of the laughter. It’s the perfect Christmas night out.”
There’s no shortage of Willy Russell around at the moment, with tours of Blood Brothers and Shirley Valentine crossing the North West, but Karl believes Breezeblock Park offers something different.
“It is a less well-known play and the advantage of us being in the Chester Little Theatre is that we’re not miles away in some huge auditorium. This is as close to the original Everyman production as we can recreate, and we know audiences will fall in love with it.”
Breezeblock Park is on in Chester for one night only: Saturday, November 26, at 7.30pm.
The production is supported by Stephen Fry, Richard Wilson and Matthew Kelly.
Chester Little Theatre is in Gloucester Street, Newtown, Chester CH1 3HR.
Tickets are £10 (£8 concessions). To book online, go to www.chestertheatreclub.co.uk and click on How to Book or scroll down to Breezeblock Park in News, or telephone TicketSource on 0333 666 3366 (booking charges apply). Tickets also available on the door.
