Manchester-based Farewell Theatre Company is back with new work Long Story Short (Kings Arms, Salford, June 11-13), after praise from none other than Farnworth's mega-playwright Jim Cartwright. The famed writer of Road and many other modern classics saw one of the trio's earlier shows and said of company co-founder Ross Thompson: "It's rare to see a talent in directing this good in someone so young."
Farewell was formed in 2017 by Thompson, Reece Hallam and Danny Myers as part of their final year at Salford University. The three graduated in 2018, waved goodbye to Danny but were joined by Ward J.Harries for a sold-out first public show at the Greater Manchester Fringe. Receiving a nomination for Best Newcomer, they decided to make the company official and Farewell Theatre was the result.
Since then they have created, produced and performed two more sold-out shows and set up their new writing night, On the Same Page, which has allowed local actors to share their work with a live audience. Their show Death of the English pub was a site-specific, immersive, docu-theatre piece thath saw the audience get up and dance at a rave, take part in a pub quiz and join in a sing-along.
Their most recent sold-out work, An evening with Nick Maynard, involved 15 actors, five directors, two assistant directors, a producer and a technician - but all 11 pieces were by one local writer, Nick Maynard; a night of short,s showcasing local talent in pieces that ranged from 2-20 minutes.
Now the team makes its Kings Arms debut in Long Short Story, five 20-minute plays written by Ward J Harries, who said: "They are all centred around crime and punishment - but it’s not all doom and gloom. From archaic execution devices to a rag-tag Neighbourhood Watch group on the look-out for a sandwich thief, the evening asks: are humans inherently good?
“Through the stories' similarities, we hope to question our audiences' sense of morality and ask them what 'crime and punishment' means to them.
"Ultimately, it's our job as storytellers not to answer questions but to pose them ourselves, through relevant narratives and by painting spectacles with impact.”
More info and tickets here