Drama/ 4 characters, 2 Men, 2 Women/ Full Length, Two Acts
Synopsis: Silver Lining looks at what happens when the rhythms of a life — to many, a life that is mundane, decidedly unglamorous, usually unappreciated — are disrupted by catastrophic events. Though written in the 1990s, it is set in the late ’60s during the first Foot and Mouth epidemic, and anticipates more recent outbreaks. Beyond the apparent lack of hope and (literal) shit of life for poor farmers, we find courage, humour, poetry and love.
About the Playwright: John’s stage plays include: Stiff Stuff; Shouting at the Radio; Raw Material; Albert Finney Doesn’t Live Here Any More; Robin Hood – The Raven’s Revenge – all at the Library Theatre Company where he was Arts Council Resident Dramatist; Two Wheel Tricycle (Contact Theatre); Silver Lining (Oldham Coliseum); Yoiks Oiks (Bolton Octagon); The Marigold Trilogy (Real Life Theatre. M.E.N. Best Fringe Award); Balling the Blues (One Step); City of Gold (Arden).
John has written three epics for Lancaster Dukes Promenade Seasons – Tales of King Arthur, Jungle Book and The Three Musketeers, and several pieces for/with young people at Manchester Youth Theatre and M6 where he was also Resident Writer.
Co-written theatre work includes: Scandals – The Life & Liver of Frank Randlewith Keith Clifford (which John also directed); Crazy People with Marvin Close (LTC); I’m Marrying Ryan Giggs (Robbie Fowler in Liverpool!) with Dave Simpson (Liverpool Playhouse & national tour); Koff with Brian Morgan (One Step).
He has written around 100 hours of television including: The Bill (Thames);Emmerdale (Granada-YTV). Working on it during BAFTA Best Soap year 2001); Eastenders; Runaway Bay (YTV / Lifetime); 14 episodes of Children’s Ward (Granada. Including RTS Best Children’s Drama Series); 3 fifteen minute films for BBC Education’s Turning Points, (which won BAFTA and RTS awards, 1999); Away From Home and Grease Lightning – 30 minute plays for BBC2 (Northwest); Dramarama (ITV).
Silver Lining was first produced by the Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Oldham, UK, 1995.