Monkeywood follow Last Orders with House On Fire

Manchester based Monkeywood Theatre follow the success of Last Orders and the 2010 tour of Maine Road, with a new play based on the characters, themes and places in the memoir, Once in a Last Orders by Andrea Ashworth.

Monkeywood and their associate writer Sarah McDonald Hughes are currently developing Once in a House on Fire collaboratively
with young people from Xaverian Sixth Form College in Rusholme and
Chorlton High School, which both feature in the original novel. Two of
Monkeywood’s Co-Artistic Directors, McDonald Hughes and Francesca
Waite, also attended Xaverian and found the experiencing of returning
to their roots inspiring, if surreal!

Waite said, “It was great
to be able to work with the sixth formers to get their ideas on a story
set in their neighbourhood, involving characters of a similar age to
them. Although it was strange to return to our college, it was lovely to
realise how far we’ve come since those days and share our experiences
of making theatre with the drama students.”

Developed with The Lowry Studio, supported by Arts Council England and funded through grants for the arts, Once in a House on Fire
is a compelling story set across South Manchester during the 1970s and
80s. Based on Andrea Ashworth’s book, recipient of the 1999 Somerset
Maugham award, it is an inspiring, vibrant, truthful and moving story of
sisters, survival and growing up.

Francesca recently met
Mancunian Andrea in Los Angeles, where she is now based, and Andrea was
delighted to hear about the project, “I’m thrilled that Once in a House on Fire
is being brought to life on the stage through the fabulous Monkeywood
Theatre, and immensely proud that they’re devoting their unique talents
and passion to sharing this story.  I can’t wait to see what they
do….”

Once in a House on Fire runs at the Lowry Studio from 31 March – 2nd April and tickets are on sale now.