To help cover the creative costs of Welcome to Shangri-La, a new play coming to Manchester, celebrating working-class voices.
Hi!
I'm Joel Parry, a working-class actor and theatre director based in Manchester.
Last November, I was thrilled (and super fortunate) to be awarded an Arts Council grant towards the production costs of a fantastic new play, Welcome to Shangri-La by working-class playwright Gemma Langford, which will play for two weeks at Hope Mill Theatre this February.
It will be the debut production from my new company Broken Biscuits, committed to championing artists from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the North of England. Gemma will be leading writing workshops in schools and colleges in under-privileged areas of Manchester, and free tickets to see the show will be offered to all participants.
We believe we need a broad range of voices in the arts, and that class shouldn't be a barrier to artists being supported in developing their skills and telling their stories, especially in the current political and economic climate.
One important condition of the grant is that we raise a proportion of the costs of the project ourselves. And in order to cover costs and pay everyone involved professional rates for professional work, the figure we need to find is £1500.
So we need your help!
As well as paying six actors and all of our creative team professional fees, any donations we receive will go towards to the cost of hiring the theatre space, and set and costume for the show.
And a bit about the play here...
Cheryl’s life is anything but ordinary – living in a run-down seaside B & B (that also doubles as a swinger’s club) alongside a gambling man, a fortune teller and an elderly deviant, she would give anything for a bit of boring.
But you should be careful what you wish for.
When George turns up late one night looking for his missing wife, he brings with him a cash-filled wallet and the promise of a normal life. But this promise comes with a price – the very soul of Shangri-La and its inhabitants.
Written by BAFTA Break-through Brit Gemma Langford, Welcome to Shangri-La is a dark comedy that challenges its audience to look at their own definition of “normality” and to ask themselves “am I alright?”
Any donation however large or small will be so appreciated. We are determined to make this show a stonking success and hope to be able to continue to celebrate and support working-class artists in future projects.
Thanks so much for reading!
Joel x
This project successfully funded on 21st February 2020