London Road

Synopsis

In the autumn of 2006 the everyday life of the quiet rural town of Ipswich was shattered by the discovery of the bodies of five women. You automatically think it could be him. That s the scary thing, you know he could be amongst us walking around with us every day and we, we don t know. The residents of London Road had struggled for years with the soliciting and kerb-crawling that they frequently encountered. As Steve Wright, the occupant of No. 79, was arrested, charged and then convicted of the murders, the immediate community grappled with what it meant to be at the epicentre of this tragedy. We just wanna - wanna see an end - end to it and London Road getting back to London Road instead of being known for someone where - where the murderer lived. Adam Cork uses the melodic and rhythmic speech patterns captured on playwright Alecky Blythe s extensive recorded interviews with the people of Ipswich to create an experimental and challenging work which reveals the ways in which even the darkest experiences can engender a greater sense of our mutual dependence.

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 15 April 2011

There’s serial music for a serial killer in Adam Cork’s brilliant new score for London Road, a verbatim theatre piece by Alecky Blythe, based on interviews she conducted with neighbours of the man at number 79, London Road, Ipswich, who killed five prostitutes in the last weeks of 2006.

The healing powers of music have rarely been so fulsomely demonstrated as the company of eleven sing their way to living with the past and facing the future, restoring their street to something like normality, in a set of company chorales, rounds and musical meditations.

Cork, who’s best known for his wonderful soundscapes at the Donmar Warehouse and for Rupert Goold – he wrote the music for Enron – really comes into focus in this show, which is ingeniously directed by Rufus Norris on a split set by Katrina Lindsay of coloured panels, a big bay window – housing a six-piece band – and a glorious effusion of fl...

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Latest User Review

Amanda Dexter - 28 July 2011:

What a thought provoking and astonishing piece of theatre. We were amazed at the virsatility of the actors and their characterisation! There was a story to be told here about humanity and the complexities of our lives and reactions to events around us. I am just so glad to have seen these actors show us what life was like for the people of London Road! Well done to everyone involved....

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